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UConn's shock win over No 1 seed Duke on Sunday night to advance to the Final Four connected two disparate eras of college basketball. The game produced one of the greatest endings in NCAA Tournament history, with freshman Braylon Mullins's three-point heave from well beyond the arc sealing the 73-72 victory.The final 10 seconds of Sunday night's game evoked some of the greatest endings in tournament history, with Mullins and Silas Demary Jr's swarming of Cayden Boozer conjuring memories of UCLA's stunning 2006 comeback against Gonzaga and Villanova's 2016 national title win.UConn coach Dan Hurley praised his team's resilience, saying, 'We fought, we clawed, put ourselves in position to take advantage of a mistake that they made.' Mullins's game-winning shot will forever torment Duke fans, as the Blue Devils had led by 19 points in the first-half and No 1 seeds had been 134-0 when leading by 15 or more points in NCAA Tournament history.The win proved that recruiting and continuity still dictate success in college basketball, with UConn's senior Tarris Reed Jr. named the game's Most Outstanding Player after finishing with 26 points, nine rebounds, four blocks, and two steals. Reed's performance reminded fans of the era of dominant post players like Patrick Ewing and Dwight Howard.UConn's victory, coupled with their previous wins over Michigan State and St John's, showed that traditional powers can still thrive in an era of unlimited transfers and Name, Image and Likeness deals. Hurley's adaptability and UConn's roster, which included transfers Malachi Smith and Silas Demary Jr, demonstrated that an old-school approach can still yield success in modern college basketball.

The literary world is grappling with a new challenge: detecting AI-written books. Kate Nash, a literary agent, recently discovered an AI prompt at the top of a submission letter, which raised concerns about the use of artificial intelligence in book writing. The controversy surrounding Mia Ballard's 'femgore' horror novel Shy Girl, which was suspected to be up to 78% AI-generated, has forced literary agents and publishers to reevaluate their ability to detect AI-generated work. Hachette halted US publication of Shy Girl and removed it from online retailers after an internal review. Experts warn that AI detection tools are not foolproof and that the technology is advancing rapidly. Prof Patrick Juola, a US computer scientist, likens the failure of AI detection tools to antibiotic resistance, stating that AI is a learning system continually upgraded by its manufacturers. Mor Naaman, a professor of information science at Cornell Tech, agrees that publishers won't stand a chance in detecting AI-generated books soon. He notes that AI learns quickly how to avoid detection and that the line between human and AI-generated content is becoming increasingly blurred. The debate raises questions about the role of AI in creative writing and the importance of trust between readers and writers. Anna Ganley, of the Society of Authors, launched the Human Authored scheme to identify works written by humans, but it relies on trust, a value that is inherently vulnerable. Amelia Hill, the author of the article, highlights the importance of preserving the human element in literature, stating that AI may flood the market with content, but it cannot replace the messy, difficult work of being human.

The US men's national team faced a daunting task against Belgium at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday, but the outcome was far more severe than expected. The 5-2 defeat was an embarrassing loss, easily among the USMNT's worst under head coach Mauricio Pochettino.The US had been riding a wave of momentum, unbeaten in their past five matches, but struggled mightily against a talented Belgium side. The Belgians' five straight goals after the US opened the scoring left many questions unanswered for Pochettino's team.The match started promisingly for the US, with Weston McKennie's opening strike in the 39th minute. However, that lead was short-lived as Belgium equalized in the 45th minute through Zeno Debast's well-hit goal. The US keeper, Matt Turner, was in part responsible for the goal and faced difficulty throughout the match.The second half was a disaster for the US, with Jérémy Doku at the center of the danger for Belgium. The Manchester City winger muscled away Mark McKenzie and played it across to Saelemaekers, who found Amadou Onana for the equalizing goal. The Belgians took control with Charles De Ketelaere's penalty kick in the 55th minute, making it 3-1.The final goals for Belgium came from Dodi Lukebakio, who scored twice in the 68th and 83rd minutes. The US were allowed a consolation goal two minutes from full-time through Patrick Agyemang.The loss raises concerns for the USMNT ahead of their upcoming match against Portugal on Tuesday evening. The team will need a significant improvement to test themselves against top teams like Belgium in the World Cup.

Apple’s Lockdown Mode: Four Years of Zero Successful BreachesAfter almost four years since its launch, Apple has confirmed a significant milestone in consumer cybersecurity: no user with Lockdown Mode enabled has been successfully hacked with mercenary spyware. In a statement to TechCrunch, Apple spokesperson Sarah O'Rourke confirmed that the company is not aware of any successful attacks against devices protected by this feature, representing a four-year streak of effectiveness against some of the most sophisticated state-sponsored hacking tools in existence.The Architecture of Resistance: How Lockdown Mode WorksLockdown Mode is an opt-in security feature designed to harden Apple devices against exploits that are typically used by state-sponsored actors. By restricting certain functionalities, the feature effectively shrinks the attack surface available to hackers.Feature Restrictions: It disables most message attachments and restricts WebKit features.Targeted Threats: It specifically counters exploits used by notorious spyware vendors like the NSO Group, Intellexa, and Paragon Solutions.Zero-Click Exploits: It blocks remote attack chains that do not require user interaction, such as zero-click exploits.Security experts, including Patrick Wardle, describe this as one of the most aggressive consumer-facing hardening features ever shipped. By eliminating entire delivery mechanisms, the feature forces spyware developers to use more complex and expensive techniques to bypass the defenses.The Zero-Breach MilestoneDespite Apple sending notifications to users in over 150 countries alerting them to potential hacking attempts, the data remains clear: Lockdown Mode has not been bypassed in any confirmed case. Independent investigations by organizations like Amnesty International and the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab have corroborated Apple's findings.Independent Verification: Amnesty International's Donncha Ó Cearbhaill confirmed no evidence of successful compromise where Lockdown Mode was active.Active Blocking: Citizen Lab documented instances where Lockdown Mode actively blocked attacks from NSO's Pegasus and Predator spyware.Evasion Tactics: Some spyware variants have been observed to abort attacks entirely if Lockdown Mode is detected, likely to avoid detection by security researchers.Shifting the Burden of Defense to the ConsumerThe success of Lockdown Mode marks a pivotal shift in the cybersecurity landscape. Historically, high-end security was the domain of governments and large corporations. Apple is now effectively forcing the burden of defense onto the individual consumer.While the feature requires users to accept a trade-off in usability—such as extra steps for copying links or occasional confusing notifications—the data suggests the trade-off is worth it for high-risk targets. The feature has successfully neutralized the most common vectors used by mercenary spyware, rendering them ineffective against the vast majority of attackers.The Future of Digital HardeningLooking ahead, the success of Lockdown Mode sets a new standard for consumer device security. As spyware vendors adapt to this new reality, we can expect a cat-and-mouse game where attackers attempt to find new vulnerabilities. However, for the foreseeable future, Lockdown Mode remains the gold standard for protecting individuals from state-sponsored digital intrusion.

Italian regulators have launched an investigation into Sephora and Benefit Cosmetics, both owned by the French luxury group LVMH, over allegations of using 'covert marketing strategies' to sell beauty products to young girls. The probes aim to determine if these brands have been targeting minors with skincare products, such as face masks, serums, and anti-ageing creams, potentially fuelling an unhealthy obsession with skincare known as 'cosmeticorexia'.The Italian Competition Authority stated that the investigations were opened over concerns that important information – such as warnings and precautions for cosmetics not intended for, or tested on, minors – may have been omitted or presented in a misleading manner. The regulator expressed concerns that the frequent and combined use of a wide range of cosmetics by minors, without proper awareness, may be harmful to their health.The trend of young girls and teenagers being drawn to high-end beauty products has been driven by skincare content produced by beauty influencers, many of whom are tweens and teens themselves. This phenomenon, known as 'Sephora kids', has met a backlash from dermatologists who argue that children do not require beauty products and that this early focus on appearance can create anxiety over how their skin looks.Sephora has previously sought to distance itself from this trend, with its North America CEO, Artemis Patrick, stating in a 2024 interview that 'we do not market to this audience'. However, the regulator alleges that the company has adopted a 'particularly insidious marketing strategy' involving the use of 'very young micro-influencers who encourage the compulsive purchase of cosmetics among young people, a particularly vulnerable group'. LVMH said that it, Sephora, and Benefit would 'fully cooperate with the authorities' but declined to comment further, reaffirming their strict compliance with applicable Italian regulations.

Patrick Gale's 18th novel, 'Love Lane', is a captivating tale of family secrets, love, and acceptance. The story follows elderly protagonist Harry Cane as he reflects on his life, including his clandestine relationship with his brother-in-law Paul Slaymaker in Canada.The narrative jumps between different perspectives, including Harry's daughter Betty, her husband Terry, and their daughter Pip. Through these characters, Gale explores themes of love, family, and identity, drawing significantly from his own family history and letters.Gale's writing is marked by its lightness and brilliance in describing everyday life. His characters are vividly realized, and their stories are engaging and often humorous. The novel also tackles darker themes, such as the criminalization of queerness and the harsh realities of prison life.While the novel's center sometimes feels unclear due to the numerous subplots and characters, Gale's warmth and gentleness shine through, making for a companionable read. The title 'Love Lane' alludes to the street where Pip and her husband Mike live, but its significance extends beyond that, symbolizing the love and acceptance that permeates the novel.Overall, 'Love Lane' is a heartwarming and engaging novel that explores the complexities of human relationships and the power of love and acceptance.

The Coruna and DarkSword Threat For years, the prevailing narrative among iPhone security experts was that breaking through Apple's defenses was a rare, high-barrier event requiring significant resources. However, recent investigations by Google, iVerify, and Lookout have shattered this assumption. Researchers have documented broad-scale hacking campaigns utilizing two specific tools, Coruna and DarkSword, which have been used to target victims globally who are not running the latest software updates. Attack Vectors: Hackers are compromising legitimate websites and creating fake pages to deliver spyware. Key Actors: Involvement of Russian spies and Chinese cybercriminals. Tool Availability: The source code for these tools has leaked online, allowing anyone to launch attacks against older iPhones. The Two-Tier iPhone Security Landscape The discovery of Coruna and DarkSword highlights a critical data point in the current security ecosystem: the existence of two distinct classes of iPhone users. This bifurcation is driven by the introduction of Memory Integrity Enforcement in iOS 26, a feature designed to prevent memory corruption bugs—the very vulnerabilities exploited by DarkSword. Class A (Secure): Users on the latest iPhone 17 models running iOS 26 are protected by memory-safe code and Lockdown Mode, making them resistant to these specific memory-based hacks. Class B (Vulnerable): Users running iOS 18 or older versions remain exposed to memory corruption attacks, as these older systems lack the new safety enforcement layers. Challenging the 'Rare Hack' Myth The widespread use of these leaked tools suggests that spyware attacks are becoming more common and less exclusive. This shift is fueled by a thriving "second-hand" market for exploits, where brokers resell vulnerabilities before they are patched. Experts argue that the rarity of iPhone hacks has been overstated simply because they are rarely documented. As noted by Patrick Wardle, the baseline capability for such attacks is now accessible to a wider range of actors, moving beyond state-sponsored actors to include cybercriminals. The End of the 'Rare Hack' Era The future of mobile security appears to be one of continuous escalation. With the code for Coruna and DarkSword now public, the barrier to entry for launching attacks against older devices has lowered significantly. This indicates that memory-based exploits will continue to plague lagging users, and the market for exploit development will likely expand as brokers seek to monetize vulnerabilities before updates are applied.

The traditional cold war diplomacy of brinkmanship, characterized by carefully balanced standoffs and rules-based international order, has given way to a world in freefall. This shift is exemplified by the ever-widening conflict in the Gulf where strategic objectives remain as unclear as the potential endpoint of hostilities.Approaching a month since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran, the stated objectives of removing the country's nuclear threat and destroying its ballistic missile capability appear increasingly disconnected from the disproportionate impact on civilians and neighboring Gulf nations. Despite these consequences, the Iranian regime's willingness to escalate the conflict shows no signs of diminishing.The Guardian Weekly's coverage examines this critical juncture through multiple perspectives. Patrick Wintour recounts the pivotal week when global tensions reached a tipping point, while Richard Partington analyzes the long-term economic implications of a prolonged conflict, from oil price fluctuations to inflationary pressures and economic growth impacts. From South Lebanon, William Christou reports on healthcare professionals caught in the crossfire of Israeli airstrikes, highlighting the human cost of the escalating violence.Emma Graham-Harrison provides insight from Jerusalem, examining Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strategy of attempting to rehabilitate his image through what he frames as destruction of an 'axis of evil.' Meanwhile, Simon Tisdall poses a critical question: when US President Donald Trump eventually seeks to halt the conflict, will any parties be willing to heed his calls for de-escalation?Beyond the primary geopolitical focus, this week's Guardian Weekly edition explores several significant developments across different sectors. The UK political landscape features an examination of the upcoming local elections, where voter sentiment appears increasingly focused on rejecting established parties rather than actively supporting alternatives. The scientific section explores innovative approaches to addressing snoring disorders through CPAP machines, while the culture section features an in-depth interview with Dave Grohl discussing Foo Fighters, personal challenges, and grief following the loss of bandmate Taylor Hawkins.In sports, the publication celebrates the remarkable achievement of British athletes Keely Hodgkinson, Georgia Hunter Bell, and Molly Caudery, who each secured gold medals at the world indoor athletics championships in Poland, showcasing British excellence in track and field events.