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Editor's note
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Mars may be a barren and inhospitable place today, but billions of years ago it had virtually all the ingredients necessary for life to exist – with water flowing on the surface. Now NASA’s Curiosity rover has discovered organic material in 3 billion year-old mudstones on the planet, which may be traces of decayed living matter. It has also detected spikes of methane in the atmosphere, which could partly be a result of biological activity. Monica Grady explains how to interpret these exciting findings.
The G7’s 2018 meeting opens today, and it’s going to be one of the most awkward summits in years. It brings together seven governments riled up about everything from trade to diplomatic protocol to the Iranian nuclear deal – and with an intransigent Donald Trump sitting at the table, no-one knows if they’ll get what they want. We asked a panel of experts to lay out what’s rubbing these countries the wrong way, and what they can do about it.
We’re counting down to the start of the World Cup next week and between now and next Thursday we’ll be warming up with regular features to get into shape. Today, Matthew Slater looks at why teams who really belt out their national anthems are more likely to win, while Conor Deane-McKenna warns footballers and fans to be aware of cyber security in Russia. Meanwhile, China may not be
playing in the finals, but, as Alan Barnier notes President Xi Jinping has a long-term dream for
World Cup glory.
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Miriam Frankel
Science Editor
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Top stories
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The Curiosity rover on Mars has been busy.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Monica Grady, The Open University
New discovery is not a proof for life on Mars, but we are definitely getting closer.
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EPA/Kyoshi Ota
Natasha Ezrow, University of Essex; Andrew Glencross, Aston University; Dennis R. Schmidt, Durham University; Felia Allum, University of Bath; Ra Mason, University of East Anglia; Steve Hewitt, University of Birmingham; Victoria Honeyman, University of Leeds
Seven world leaders with axes to grind are preparing to sit round one table. Sparks will fly.
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Greece’s players sing their national anthem during the 2018 Fifa World Cup play-off in November 2017.
EPA-EFE
Matthew Slater, Staffordshire University
New research suggests that a football team's rendition of its national anthem says a lot about its level of togetherness.
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Even the best players in the world will have to be wary of cyber threats.
EPA/ Ennio Leanza
Conor Deane-McKenna, University of Birmingham
All the cyber threats that fans and footballers face at the World Cup...and tips for remaining safe.
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Politics + Society
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Claire Gorrara, Cardiff University
Britain can't keep relying on everyone else speaking English.
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Anita Howarth, Brunel University London; Yasmin Ibrahim, Queen Mary University of London
A steady retreat from a distinctive British tradition of refuge has stained policy around immigration.
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Ivor Gaber, University of Sussex
The Mail man has enjoyed 26 years of power in journalism and politics.
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Christopher Pich, Nottingham Trent University
Islanders currently stand as independent candidates, but this special system could be about to disappear.
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Alan Bairner, Loughborough University
The Chinese president dreams of World Cup glory. His best first step is to win the right to stage the finals.
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Simon Toubeau, University of Nottingham; Pere Almeda, University of Barcelona
A strange coincidence of historical circumstances in Spain could, taken together, help to bring about a resolution to the crisis in Catalonia.
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Health + Medicine
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Alex Johnstone, University of Aberdeen; Peter Morgan, University of Aberdeen
Experts say there is still a long way to go before we can make firm statements about the best time of day to eat.
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Environment + Energy
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Rowan Gard, University of St Andrews
Not the sort of amount you'd want to lose down the back of the sofa.
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Science + Technology
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Sarah Worsley, University of East Anglia
New study shows parasitic Escovopsis fungus attacks the bacteria leafcutter ants use to protect themselves.
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Business + Economy
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Josip Kotlar, Lancaster University
The proposed Sky takeover is just the latest chapter in the Murdoch family saga which will see power shifting at the top of the empire.
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Agelos Delis, Aston University
US tariffs could potentially benefit some EU firms that rely on steel and aluminium.
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Arts + Culture
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Kate Burridge, Monash University; Catherine McBride, Chinese University of Hong Kong
An unspoken class war has long been waged around the pronounciation of the letter "h" - is it haitch or aitch? Despite a snobbish leaning to the latter, haitch makes more sense.
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Adam Ganz, Royal Holloway
Fairy stories come alive in the telling — and the retelling.
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Featured events
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G11, Henley Business School, Whiteknights campus, University of Reading, Reading, Reading, RG6 6AH, United Kingdom — University of Reading
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Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom — University of Manchester
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Venues across the city of York, York, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom — University of York
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Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom — University of Manchester
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