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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that President Trump prevented Iran from achieving what he described as military 'immunity'. The remarks frame the administration's actions as having halted Iran's military advancement, and come amid ongoing debate over US policy toward Tehran and its nuclear and military ambitions. Details of the remarks' context remain limited.

Four environmental organizations filed a petition Thursday asking the Federal Communications Commission to reverse its approval of a startup's plan to beam on-demand sunlight from space to Earth. The groups argue the agency ignored potential impacts on wildlife and astronomy when it cleared the project, escalating scrutiny of commercial ventures that would alter the night sky.

Commentators are arguing that Europe has a strange difficulty communicating the threat posed by Russia. Writing in Baltic Sentinel, one critic says European allies should stop publicly repeating warnings about escalation and instead work harder behind closed doors. The piece argues that open rhetoric about Moscow undermines effective diplomacy and coordination, and that quieter, substantive engagement would serve European security better than public alarm.

OPAQUE Systems, a confidential computing startup focused on verifiable AI, reports its open source software is approaching 500,000 downloads, while community code contributions have grown more than tenfold. The company says the figures reflect growing interest in running AI workloads with verifiable privacy and data protection. Coverage so far comes from industry trade outlets carrying the announcement.

Aimee Shalan, head of a Palestine solidarity campaign, says Palestine has become an electoral issue in the UK for the first time, with anger over Israel's war in Gaza mobilising British voters. The Guardian's community affairs correspondent Aamna Mohdin reports that the conflict is now shaping voter priorities and could influence how people cast their ballots in the election.

A Guardian feature follows a community that discovered its water and residents had been contaminated by PFAS, the persistent 'forever chemicals' linked to serious health risks. Residents describe getting blood tests and demanding answers after learning how long the pollution went undetected. The story highlights growing public concern over industrial PFAS pollution, regulatory delays and the difficulty of holding polluters to account.

Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska took part in a 'Dialogue with Communities' event focused on implementing the country's school nutrition reform. The initiative, championed by Zelenska, aims to overhaul how meals are planned, funded and delivered in Ukrainian schools. The event brought together communities to discuss practical steps for putting the reform into effect nationwide.

Dartmouth College has reached a $750,000 settlement following a data breach that exposed the personal information of roughly 96,000 members of the Dartmouth community. The agreement resolves claims arising from the incident, which affected students, staff and others whose data was compromised. Details of the breach's cause and how settlement funds will be distributed have not been fully outlined in initial reports.

The Pew Charitable Trusts highlights that thoughtfully designed wildlife crossings would deliver benefits beyond animal safety, helping communities as well. Well-planned overpasses and underpasses can reduce vehicle-wildlife collisions, protecting drivers and cutting costs while allowing animals to move safely across fragmented habitats. The piece argues for incorporating smart design principles into infrastructure planning.

The Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for the ASEAN Political-Security Community took part in a panel discussion at the 7th ASEAN Workshop on the intersection between conflict and human rights. The workshop brings together officials and experts to examine how armed conflict affects human rights across Southeast Asia, reflecting ASEAN's continuing focus on regional peace, security and rights protection.

Researchers publishing in Communications Biology report that deletions and regulatory disruption of the Y chromosome recur across cancers, suggesting loss of this chromosome may play a functional role in tumour development rather than being a harmless byproduct. The findings add to growing interest in how sex chromosome instability shapes cancer risk and progression in men.

The California Community Colleges system is asking for $195 million in funding to support artificial intelligence initiatives across its campuses. The request would finance AI tools and training in the largest community college system in the United States. The proposal comes as higher education institutions nationwide weigh how to adopt AI while seeking dedicated state money to pay for it.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called for the government to "govern the housing market" and urged Spain's autonomous communities to apply existing law to restrict tourist apartments. His comments come amid a national debate over housing shortages and the pressure short-term holiday rentals place on residential availability, particularly in major cities and tourist regions.

A powerful nor'easter is hitting coastal communities across the US Northeast, bringing heavy wind, rain and flooding along the shoreline. The storm is the main weather story in the region, with residents and officials dealing with coastal damage and disruptions as coverage continues to spread widely.

Renewables Now published an interview examining how community solar projects are increasingly being treated as bankable infrastructure assets by lenders and investors. The discussion points to growing confidence in the model, which allows households and businesses to subscribe to shared solar installations and receive credits on their electricity bills, making smaller-scale renewable projects more financially viable.

The County of Maui is urging residents to prepare for prolonged power and communications outages. The advisory, reported by Maui Now, tells households to stock emergency supplies, plan for loss of phone and internet service, and be ready to manage without utilities for an extended period. The warning comes as officials stress readiness for disruptions that could affect daily life across the island, and residents are being encouraged to review their emergency plans now rather than wait for an outage to begin.

Amnesty International Canada is calling on governments to take stronger action on wildfire response and to better protect First Nations communities, which are often among the hardest hit by intensifying fire seasons in Canada. The appeal ties emergency preparedness to Indigenous rights, urging authorities to ensure affected communities receive adequate resources, evacuation support and long-term protection.

NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens hosted a community preparedness expo just as a nor'easter storm approached New York City. The event gave residents guidance on getting ready for severe winter weather, with the hospital system framing the timing as timely given the approaching storm. It reflects ongoing efforts by the public hospital network to help New Yorkers plan for weather emergencies.