Plus: Eyes to the skies to enjoy a 'planetary parade' ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. A UN vote on the war in Ukraine has highlighted a massive shift in US foreign policy. Correspondent Nada Tawfik reports on a dramatic day of high-stake diplomacy. We also hear from American scientists concerned about the Trump administration's cuts to research funding. And finally, we share tips on how to best enjoy a rare seven-planet alignment in the night sky. | |
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TOP OF THE AGENDA | US vote on Ukraine war surprises Europe |
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| | The US worked against its closest allies and sided with Russia to pass resolutions on the conflict in Ukraine. Credit: Getty Images | A symbolic UN resolution expressing support for Ukraine on the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion passed on Monday with fewer votes in favour than in past years. Many members of the General Assembly abstained to avoid a tricky tension created by the US, which submitted a competing resolution that took a neutral stance on the war, without blaming Russia, and called for a swift end with a lasting peace to follow. Washington's diplomats introduced the text both in the General Assembly, where every nation's vote is equal, and in the more powerful Security Council. The move caught Europe off guard, Nada Tawfik reports. |
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| Survivors recall horror of DR Congo jailbreak | Orla Guerin speaks to some of the women who survived the sexual violence and the fire that followed a jailbreak in Goma. | Read more > |
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| White genocide in South Africa 'not real', court rules | A South African court has dismissed claims of a white genocide in the country as "clearly imagined" and "not real". | Get the details > |
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| City 'adopts' migrants who tried to stop hate crime | Spain's A Coruña has honoured two Senegalese men who tried to save a gay man from a homophobic mob. | Find out more > |
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| How scientists plan to fight Doge cuts | | Protesters rally against the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) funding freezes on research. Credit: EPA-EFE | From Our Own Correspondent: Scientists across the US are concerned about what the Trump administration's cost-cutting drive means for the funding system that has underpinned America’s world-class research for decades. The subject dampened the mood at a recent gathering of one of the country’s oldest scientific societies in Boston. |
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| | | One attendee told me how their organisation, and others they’d heard about, were affected after a visit from Doge. They detailed the way programmes were cut indiscriminately, and how human capital was being tossed away - firing anyone hired in the last two years. They were clearly very worried about the future - and what, if anything, could be done about it.
At the stand for the Union of Concerned Scientists, three enthusiastic young women were keen to tell me about the fightback they were mounting. Though their strategy seemed heavily focused around a letter writing campaign to Congress – I couldn’t help thinking that strongly worded missives may be insufficient for this moment. But others told me resistance is coming. |
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SOMETHING DIFFERENT | A tumultuous history | The Sydney Opera House was plagued by issues during construction. | |
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And finally... in the night sky | Look up at the night's sky over the next few days to view a rare phenomenon that won't be visible again for 15 years. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights, seven planets - Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, Mercury, and Saturn - will all be briefly visible, four of them to the naked eye. Find all the details here, including the best time to spot the "planetary parade". | |
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