researchers

A BBC Global Story episode examines the actual number of Russian soldiers killed in the war in Ukraine, a figure widely believed to be far higher than officially acknowledged by Moscow. The discussion reflects ongoing efforts by journalists and researchers to estimate casualties using obituaries, leaked documents and battlefield data, as Russia's losses continue to mount more than three years into the full-scale invasion.

The Philippine Coast Guard says the Chinese research vessel Jia Hai Ke 7 has entered the Philippine exclusive economic zone. A Filipino aircraft spotted the vessel 38 nautical miles off Itbayat and repeatedly challenged it by radio, demanding it leave the area. The incident adds to a series of maritime encounters between the Philippines and China in disputed South China Sea waters.

The Peace Research Institute Oslo has published a discussion of Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy, arguing that regional efforts must move beyond managing the humanitarian emergency toward a credible political horizon for resolving the conflict. The piece frames the current crisis as inseparable from the absence of a viable peace process, calling for renewed political engagement alongside aid.

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.

An Italian court has convicted three Egyptian security officials over the 2016 torture and killing of Italian student Giulio Regeni in Cairo, while acquitting a fourth defendant. The ruling, delivered in absentia, comes after years of pressure for answers over the researcher's death, which strained relations between Rome and Cairo. All four men were being tried over the abduction and murder of the Cambridge University student near the Egyptian capital.

Leading AI researchers often described as the 'godfathers' of the field have publicly warned about the risk of a runaway 'intelligence explosion', in which AI systems rapidly improve themselves beyond human control. The warning, reported by The Guardian, adds to ongoing debate among scientists and policymakers about how quickly advanced AI should be developed and regulated.

Leading artificial intelligence researchers are calling for urgent government oversight of self-improving AI systems, according to a Wall Street Journal exclusive. The researchers warn that systems capable of enhancing their own capabilities could pose risks that current safety measures and regulations are not equipped to handle, urging policymakers to act before the technology advances further.

The New York Times is examining whether Anthropic's AI system genuinely produced a scientific discovery independently or whether human researchers guided the result. The question has sparked debate about how much credit AI systems can claim for original scientific work, and where the line sits between genuine machine autonomy and sophisticated assistance. Anthropic is among the leading AI developers, and the claim touches on its positioning in the competitive AI field.

New polling indicates climate change has returned to people's top priorities, according to research by Climate Outreach. The organisation shared the finding publicly, suggesting renewed public concern about the issue after a period in which it had slipped down voters' lists of most important concerns. Further details from the poll, including specific rankings and regional breakdowns, were not provided.

A major new study reported by the Guardian finds that high screen usage in children is linked to poorer developmental outcomes. Researchers suggest the effect of elevated screen exposure could be as significant as parental behaviour and premature birth. The findings add weight to ongoing concerns among parents, educators and health experts about how much time children spend on phones, tablets and other devices.

Google has announced Project Suncatcher, an initiative to place machine learning infrastructure in space, with details published on the company's research blog. The announcement is drawing attention among technologists debating the feasibility and costs of running data centers off Earth, powered by solar energy in orbit. Discussions center on how satellite-based compute could scale and whether the idea is realistic.

A judge has ordered the Canadian government to release sealed records about Nazi war criminals who settled in Canada after the Second World War. The documents are believed to detail how suspected war criminals entered and remained in the country, a question that has long been the subject of historical research and public debate about government secrecy and Canada's wartime immigration record.

Schools across the United States are adopting artificial intelligence tools in classrooms, but educators are doing so with little research evidence on effectiveness and few official policies to guide use. NPR reports that districts are experimenting with AI for teaching and administrative tasks while questions remain about impacts on learning, academic integrity, and data privacy.

A widely used joint supplement, glucosamine, has been linked to faster progression of Alzheimer's disease, according to new research reported by ScienceDaily. The finding is drawing attention because millions of people take glucosamine for joint pain, believing it to be safe. Details of the study's methods and how strong the link is were not included in the available coverage.

United Nations University researchers argue that efforts to regulate artificial intelligence should be grounded in human rights law rather than starting from scratch. The piece contends that existing international human rights frameworks already offer states tools to address harms from AI, including discrimination, surveillance and due process concerns. It calls on governments to anchor emerging AI governance rules in rights-based obligations.

DW News examines whether India's growing crop of space startups can transform the country into a leading space power. The report highlights how private companies are building on the achievements of the Indian Space Research Organisation, which has drawn global attention for low-cost missions such as Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1. It looks at whether entrepreneurial firms can scale satellite launches, services and innovation fast enough to rival established players like the US, China and Europe.

Nvidia has unveiled an open-source security system designed to protect against rogue AI agents, according to Wired. The tool aims to address risks from autonomous AI systems acting beyond their intended limits, and its open-source release is drawing attention from developers and security researchers weighing how the industry should police increasingly capable agents.

A new study reports that women presenting with symptoms similar to men's often receive less intensive medical care. The findings point to possible disparities in how treatment decisions are made in hospitals, echoing long-running concerns about gender bias in medicine. Researchers and commentators say the results underline the need for clinicians to reassess how urgently women's symptoms are evaluated and treated.

A new study indicates healthcare workers are battling persistent long COVID symptoms, with many continuing to experience fatigue, brain fog and other lasting effects well after infection. The findings highlight the ongoing toll of the pandemic on medical staff, raising concerns about workforce shortages and the need for better support and treatment for affected clinicians.

A Stanford Medicine study concludes that cutting ultra-processed food from school menus will be tricky. The research suggests schools face practical obstacles in eliminating these products from meals served to students, though the specific challenges were not detailed in available coverage. The findings add to ongoing debate in the United States about the role of ultra-processed foods in children's diets and school nutrition policy.

Scientists warn that shifting climate conditions could change the risks posed by deadly rodent-borne diseases. As temperatures and rainfall patterns alter habitats, rodent populations may move into new areas, potentially increasing human exposure to pathogens such as hantavirus and leptospirosis. Researchers say understanding these ecological shifts is becoming increasingly important for public health planning.

Scientists and fishermen are pressing the federal government to continue funding a deep-ocean observation system, warning that losing the data stream would hurt marine research and fisheries management. The program monitors ocean conditions in deep waters, information both communities rely on for understanding ecosystems and making decisions. Supporters say the system's value extends well beyond academia into the fishing industry.

A New York Times DealBook piece examines how artificial intelligence is making law firms more efficient, cutting the hours needed for research and document work. Clients, who traditionally pay by the billable hour, are now demanding discounts reflecting those savings, while firms worry about losing revenue and grapple with whether the century-old billing model can survive automation.

AI assessors report that the safety measures people want from artificial intelligence cannot yet be backed by current science. According to NPR, the gap means regulators and developers may be promising safeguards that the underlying research cannot verify. The finding raises questions about how AI systems can be evaluated and certified before the science of assessing them matures.

Roche has outlined plans to move towards autonomous AI laboratories, according to a Reuters report. The Swiss pharmaceutical company intends to use artificial intelligence to run elements of its research operations with reduced human involvement, a step that would put it among the first major drugmakers to pursue fully automated, AI-driven labs.