Four booths hidden from view, prompting fury from Israel’s defence ministry and visiting US Republicans

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The four main Israeli company stands at the Paris airshow have been shut down after exhibitors reportedly refused to remove some weapons from display.

The stands at the aerospace industry event were hidden from view after pressure on the organisers from the French government, a source told the Guardian.

Giant groundsels are superbly adapted to upland environments where temperatures can plunge to -20C

The common groundsel is a weedy plant often seen on waste ground and roadsides, growing up to about 40cm (16in) tall. But on mountains in east Africa relatives of the groundsel can grow up to 9 metres (30ft) in height. One of these giant groundsels is Dendrosenecio kilimanjari, which only grows high up on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and looks like something from another world – a woody trunk that can branch out like a candelabra, sprouting a large inflorescence atop each branch.

Other Dendrosenecio species grow on other mountains, all superbly adapted to the harsh upland environments where temperatures can plunge as low as -20C (-4F) in biting winds. Their thick stems are insulated by jackets of dead and withered leaves, they use an antifreeze agent to prevent ice forming in their tissues, and at night their leaves “sleep�, folding up to help keep the plant warm. Rainfall can be scarce and the giant groundsels store water in the pith of their stems. As a result of their spartan existence, they can grow extremely slowly.

Anne Wojcicki made $305m bid for firm, which has lost customers since declaring bankruptcy, with backing of Fortune 500 company

23andMe’s former CEO is set to regain control of the genetic testing company after a $305m bid from a non-profit she controls topped a pharmaceutical company’s offer for it in a bankruptcy auction.

Last month, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals agreed to buy the firm for $256m, topping a $146m bid from Anne Wojcicki and the non-profit TTAM Research Institute. The larger offer prompted Wojcicki to raise her own with the backing of a Fortune 500 company, according to the former executive. The deal is expected to close in the coming weeks after a court hearing currently scheduled for 17 June, the company said on Friday.

Combination of two targeted drugs found to produce better outcomes and was more tolerable than chemotherapy

A groundbreaking UK-wide trial has found a chemotherapy-free approach to treating leukaemia that may lead to better outcomes for some patients, with the results being hailed as a “milestone�.

Led by researchers from Leeds, results from the Flair trial, which took place at 96 cancer centres across the UK, could reshape the way the most common form of leukaemia in adults is treated, scientists said.

Celestial objects will be separated by less than a degree and the colour difference between them will be striking

Look into the western sky this week to see an eye-catching conjunction between Mars and Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation of Leo, the lion. The chart shows the view from London at 2300 BST on 16 June 2025.

The pair of celestial objects will be separated by less than a degree, less than twice the apparent diameter of the full moon. This means that as well as being an easy spot with the naked eye, they are close enough to fit into the same field of view when viewed through binoculars. Although they will move further apart as the week continues.

Vulnerable grassland birds listen in to the social rodents warning of the many threats both species face

Prairie dogs bark to alert each other to the presence of predators, with different cries depending on whether the threat is airborne or approaching by land.

But their warnings also seem to help a vulnerable grassland bird.

Researchers identify new species named Khankhuuluu mongoliensis from skeletons unearthed in Mongolia

Tyrannosaurs might evoke images of serrated teeth, massive bodies and powerful tails, but their most recent ancestor yet discovered was a slender, fleet-footed beast of rather more modest size.

Experts say the new species – identified from two partial skeletons – helps fill a gap in the fossil record between the small, early ancestors of tyrannosaurs and the huge predators that evolved later.

Production of staple crops projected to fall by as much as 120 calories per person per day for every 1C of heating

Some of our critical staple crops could suffer “substantial� production losses due to climate breakdown, a study has found, even if farmers adapt to worsening weather.

Maize, soy, rice, wheat, cassava and sorghum yields are projected to fall by as much as 120 calories per person per day for every 1C the planet heats up, according to new research in Nature, with average daily losses that could add up to the equivalent of not having breakfast.

Experts find link between compulsive use of social media, phones and video games and mental health problems

Teenagers who show signs of being addicted to social media, mobile phones or video games are at greater risk of suicidal behaviour and emotional problems, according to research.

A study, which tracked more than 4,000 adolescents for four years, found that nearly one in three reported increasingly addictive use of social media or mobile phones. Those whose use followed an increasingly addictive trajectory had roughly double the risk of suicidal behaviour at the end of the study.

Study suggests role of male parents may be under-appreciated in some primate species

If male baboons were subject to the same kind of cultural commentary as humans, the phrase “deadbeat dads� might be called for, such is the primate’s relatively limited involvement in raising their young.

But a study suggests that even their little effort might go a long way, with female baboons who experience a stronger relationship with their fathers when young tending to live longer as adults.

Patients in real world shed less weight than in clinical settings and may benefit more from bariatric surgery

People using weight loss jabs shed far fewer pounds in the real world than in clinical trials, researchers have found.

Jabs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, which contain the drugs semaglutide and tirzepatide respectively, have transformed the treatment of obesity, with studies suggesting the former can help people lose up to 20% of their body weight after 72 weeks of treatment.

The popularity of ‘healing’ through psychedelics is fueling exploitation of Indigenous peoples and threatening biodiversity in Ecuador

In the world of the Ecuadorian Amazon, humans, plants and animals are relatives, and ancient stories reflect real ecological relationships and Indigenous knowledge rooted in profound connections to the land. But one of those connections – ceremonial medicine known as hayakwaska – is now marketed as a mystical shortcut to healing and enlightenment. Behind the scenes of these “healing retreats� lies a deeper story of cultural erasure, linguistic distortion and ongoing colonisation masked as wellness.

The global popularity of “ayahuasca� has given rise to a new form of spiritual tourism that romanticises and distorts Indigenous cultures. This growing industry fuels the exoticisation of Indigenous peoples, turning our languages, practices and identities into consumable fantasies for outsiders. Sacred rituals are stripped of context, spiritual roles are commercialised, and even the names of the plants are misused, reducing complex cultural systems into simplified, marketable experiences.

Hawks, spikes and sonic repellants are among the measures used to deter these birds. Perhaps we should try sharing our planet

At this year’s Cannes film festival, some unexpected hires joined the security detail at luxury hotel the Majestic. They were clad not in kevlar but in deep chestnut plumage, with wingspans up to four feet, talons for toes and meat-ripping ebony beaks. The new recruits were Harris hawks and their mission was clear: guard stars from the aerial menace of gulls daring to photobomb or snatch vol-au-vents.

This might sound like an extreme solution to a benign problem – after all, haven’t most of us lost sandwiches to swooping beaks and come out relatively unscathed? But as these notorious food pirates come ashore in growing numbers, cities around the world are increasingly grappling with how to manage them. Hiring hawks from local falconer Christophe Puzin was the Majestic’s answer to curbing gull-related incidents (such as Sophie Marceau’s 2011 wine-on-dress situation). But in metropolises such as New York, Rome, Amsterdam and London gulls are widely considered a menace, too, as they take up permanent residence on urban stoops.

Sophie Pavelle is a writer and science communicator

Evidence so far suggests NB.1.8.1 may spread more easily and partially sidestep immunity from prior infections or vaccination

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As we enter the colder months in Australia, Covid is making headlines again, this time due to the emergence of a new variant: NB.1.8.1.

Last week, the World Health Organization designated NB.1.8.1 as a “variant under monitoring�, owing to its growing global spread and some notable characteristics which could set it apart from earlier variants.

The new executive order allows political appointees to undermine research they oppose, paving the way for state-controlled science

Science is under siege.

On Friday evening, the White House released an executive order called Restoring Gold Standard Science. At face value, this order promises a commitment to federally funded research that is “transparent, rigorous, and impactful� and policy that is informed by “the most credible, reliable, and impartial scientific evidence available�. But hidden beneath the scientific rhetoric is a plan that would destroy scientific independence in the US by giving political appointees the latitude to dismiss entire bodies of research and punish researchers who fail to fall in line with the current administration’s objectives. In other words: this is Fool’s-Gold Standard Science.

Colette Delawalla is a PhD candidate at Emory University and executive director of Stand Up for Science. Victor Ambros is a 2024 Nobel laureate in physiology or medicine at the Chan Medical School, University of Massachusetts. Carl Bergstrom is professor of biology at the University of Washington. Carol Greider is a 2009 Nobel laureate in medicine and distinguished professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Michael Mann is the presidential distinguished professor of earth and environmental science and director of the Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media at the University of Pennsylvania. Brian Nosek is executive director of the Center for Open Science and professor of psychology at the University of Virginia

As a companion to the Guardian’s Missing in the Amazon podcast, global environment editor Jon Watts goes in search of answers to the question Dom Phillips was investigating when he was murdered: how can we save the Amazon?

In the final episode of a three-part series, Jon encounters a radical new view of the Amazon’s history being uncovered by archaeologists. Far from an uninhabited wilderness, the rainforest has been shaped by indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Jon finds out how their expert knowledge could be harnessed to secure the Amazon’s future

Listen to Missing in the Amazon

Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod

As a companion to the Guardian’s Missing in the Amazon, Jon Watts, global environment editor, goes in search of answers to the question Dom Phillips was investigating when he was murdered: how can we save the Amazon?

In episode two, Jon meets the people trying to make sure the rainforest is worth more standing than cut down – from a government minister attempting to establish Brazil’s ‘bioeconomy’ to a startup founder creating superfood supplements and a scientist organising night-time tours hunting for bioluminescent fungi. Jon explores new ways of finding value in the forest and asks whether they will be enough to secure its future survival

Listen to Missing in the Amazon

Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod

As a companion to the Guardian’s Missing in the Amazon, the global environment editor Jon Watts goes in search of answers to the question Dom Phillips was investigating when he was murdered: how can we save the Amazon?

In episode one of a three-part series, Watts explores what’s at stake if we fail to act in time. He hears about the crucial role of the rainforest for South America and the global climate, and looks back at how cattle ranching came to dominate and destroy huge swathes of the forest – pushing it to a dangerous tipping point today

Listen to Missing in the Amazon

Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod

My friend Les Squires, who has died aged 76, was a scientific specialist in non-woven fabrics. He developed many materials and fabrics for medical, hygiene, insulation, agricultural and construction uses.

After a long period in research at the chemicals company Johnson & Johnson, in the late 1990s he set up a business called Web Dynamics with a friend, Tim Woodbridge, to make new materials. They opened a factory near Bolton in Lancashire, and though they had some scary times as the economy fluctuated, they persevered and ultimately became very successful, opening a second factory in China.

Television documentary producer and director who collaborated with Brian Cox on Wonders of the Solar System

The television producer and director Michael Lachmann, who has died aged 54 in a mountaineering accident in the French Alps, helped to turn the former pop musician and particle physics professor Brian Cox into a TV presenter known for bringing science documentaries into a new age. Lachmann also took the pig farmer Jimmy Doherty around the world to explore the pros and cons of GM foods, and made thought-provoking programmes on great scientists and the space race.

His skill in popularising science without dumbing down included placing Cox inside a derelict Rio de Janeiro jail for a sequence in the 2011 BBC Two series Wonders of the Universe. Cox sprayed chemical element symbols on the walls, and Lachmann had the building dramatically blown up. The four-part series attempted to answer the question: “What are we and where do we come from?� In Stardust, the episode directed by Lachmann, he and Cox travelled not only to Brazil, but also to Kathmandu and Chile, to reveal the origins of humans in distant stars.

Information stolen from US company included details of 150,000 British residents including family trees

The genetic testing company 23andMe has been fined more than £2.3m for failing to protect the personal information of more than 150,000 UK residents after a large-scale cyberattack in 2023.

Family trees, health reports, names and postcodes were among the sensitive data hacked from the California-based company. It only confirmed the breach months after the infiltration started and once an employee saw the stolen data advertised for sale on the social media platform Reddit, according to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office – which levied the fine.

The answers to today’s questions

To celebrate ten years of this column, this morning I selected ten puzzles from the Monday Puzzle archives. Here they are again with solutions. Click on the solutions to be taken to the original columns, which have full explanations.

1. Bat and ball

Happy birthday to us

Forgive me the indulgence of celebrating ten years of this column. Toot toot!

I began posting biweekly brainteasers at the end of May 2015, originally addressing you folk as “guzzlers� – Guardian puzzlers. The cringy coinage didn’t stick, but the column did, and here we are a decade and 260 columns later.

The solutions to today’s puzzles

Earlier today I set you some problems on “guardian numbers.� Here they are again with solutions.

The definition: the guardian of x is the next number that shares at least one digit of x.

On-brand mathematics

UPDATE: Read the solutions here

Numbers can be odd, even, prime, square, natural, perfect, complex, rational…and as from today they can also be guardians.

Let the numbers be 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on. The guardian of x is the next number that shares at least one digit of x.

SpaceX's Starship rocket roared into space from Texas on Tuesday on its ninth unmanned test launch. It flew farther than the previous two attempts that ended in explosive failure, but the booster section lost contact with operators and plunged into the Indian Ocean

• SpaceX Starship breaks up over Indian Ocean in latest bumpy test

Jim and Dilys Quinlan, who discovered the stone relief of the goddess of victory, have volunteered at Vindolanda, the site of an important Roman fort near Hexham, for 21 seasons. Dilys said: 'We’ve spent the vast majority of our annual leave at Vindolanda over the years. As veteran diggers, it is without doubt the most wonderful thing we’ve ever done and, importantly, it’s something we do as a couple.' The 47cm-tall carving is thought to have symbolised the end of war and to have been part of a much bigger relief

• Amateur archaeologists unearth winged goddess at Hadrian’s Wall

Fossilised footprints found in Australia provide the oldest evidence for reptiles on Earth, a discovery that suggests the group evolved in the southern rather than the northern hemisphere, and some 35-40 million years earlier than thought. A 35cm trackway of clawed footprints found in sandstone on Taungurung country, near Mansfield in eastern Victoria, have been dated to between 354 and 358m years old in a paper published in Nature, making them the oldest on record. The previously oldest fossil records, from Europe and North America, are estimated at 318m years old

• ‘Turning point’: claw print fossils found in Australia rewrites story of amniotes by 40 million years