• Artificial intelligence system can detect signs of life with 90 per cent accuracy
• It signifies a ‘significant advance’ in our abilities to discover life beyond Earth

By Xantha Leatham Deputy Science Editor For The Daily Mail

Published: 15:00 EDT, 25 September 2023 | Updated: 15:00 EDT, 25 September 2023

A new biofuel factory in Australia was at the forefront of BP’s efforts to go green under former boss Bernard Looney.

Indeed, BP Australia’s boss Frederic Baudry describes the country as the ‘poster child’ of the FTSE 100 giant’s highly ambitious global energy transition strategy.

So what becomes of the plant in Kwinana south of Perth following Looney’s departure last week – for failing to disclose personal relationships with staff – will say much about BP’s future under new leadership.

For 65 years, the site provided a steady source of employment, and fuel, to generations living in this small industrial offshoot in Western Australia. 

But with planes grounded and cars sitting idle in driveways during the Covid-19 pandemic, demand for fuel collapsed, further squeezing profit margins.

BP shut the plant, laying off 600 workers, and converted the site into an import terminal to ship in cheaper fuel from overseas.

Two years on, the site is on the cusp of being repurposed again to spearhead the oil major’s pivot from hydrocarbons to renewable energy. 

It has been earmarked for a new generation of fuel refinery, one which makes sustainable aviation fuel with raw materials such as used cooking oil or household waste, and renewable diesel using vegetable oils, animal fats and other biowaste products.

With construction expected to get under way next year, BP hopes it will be its first global biofuel project off the blocks, powering planes, trucks and cars.

If all goes to plan – and it’s a big if – BP reckons it will be producing hydrogen from 2026 and at a sufficient scale to begin exporting it by the end of the decade. 

With its natural bounty of sun, wind and space, Australia is seen as an ideal place to generate wind and solar power, despite its remoteness.

During Looney’s tenure, Australia moved up the pecking order, behind the US and the UK, with projects worth tens of billions of dollars in the pipeline.

Some of the projects being planned are mind-boggling in scale, and would be out of the question in smaller, more densely populated European countries. 

One of the biggest is being spearheaded by BP in the Pilbara region of North Western Australian, best known as the country’s iron ore heartlands.

In June last year BP bought a 40.5 per cent stake in the Australian Renewable Energy Hub, which envisions covering around 2500 square miles of outback, an area roughly the size of Devon, with more than 1,700 wind turbines up to 950 feet high, and 18 giant solar farms. 

And all dedicated to generating electricity to produce ‘green hydrogen’, before adding nitrogen to convert it into ammonia to make it easier to export.

The renewables push has been encouraged by Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese’s Labour government, which swept to power last year on the back of bold pledges to tackle climate change.

The firm has already received $70million in federal government funding for the hub in Kwinana.

But at an event in London earlier this year, Baudry warned the Albanese government that more government support is required to give BP the confidence to invest hundreds of millions of dollars into turning its ‘shovel ready projects’ into a reality.

But with the departure of Looney, the driving force behind the company’s green ambitions, some shareholders dismayed by BP’s focus on renewable energy, which they believe has come at their expense, have been offered a glimmer of hope.

BP has been the worst performer of all the global oil majors, with its shares rising 10 per cent since Looney became chief executive in February 2020 compared with a rise of more than 25 per cent at Shell.

David Hewitt an analyst at Liberum said the company now has the opportunity to ‘reverse the overzealous pivot to lower returning renewables’ and refocus on what BP does best.

BP has already watered down its energy transition plan to an extent, announcing earlier this year that it would aim to cut oil production by a quarter by 2030 instead of by 40 per cent.

Russ Mould from AJ Bell believes a further retreat is off the cards for now, particularly with Murray Auchincloss – Looney’s former finance chief – as interim chief executive. 

But Mould speculated that BP may temper its green ambitions if oil prices remain elevated for a long time, or if high inflation deters households and businesses from switching to more expensive, and potentially less reliable, forms of renewable energy.

Whether it’s whipping out pick-up lines or receiving flowers, everyone has their own idea of romance.

But experts now say that four key traits contribute to ‘romantic competence’.

A new study, led by Western Kentucky University, claims that perceptual, behavioural, assortative and interactive factors all play a role in forming a happy relationship. 

Partners who steer clear of insecurities and jealousy are deemed ‘most romantically competent’, with a ‘glass half full’ outlook on love. 

But sizzling passion was not considered a big deal at all, as researchers say it doesn’t truly reflect love, trust or commitment.

‘Our research demonstrates the importance of social cognitive processes when problem-solving in relationships,’ said Michelle R. Persich Durham, the study’s lead author. 

‘Romantically competent people tended to view relationships more positively and were less prone to relationship worries and doubts. 

‘It was also found that they tend to date partners who were similarly competent and who described themselves as having intrinsic qualities such as kindness, as opposed to extrinsic qualities like money and status.’

As part of their research, experts surveyed 171 predominantly heterosexual couples who were all at different stages in their relationships – from ‘casual dating’ to ‘married’.

Participants were given 10 fictional scenarios, ranging from simple lifestyle differences to more serious issues, like discovering a partner’s secret Tinder profile. 

Each partner was asked how they would respond to the problems at hand, with their answers used to determine their romantic competence and satisfaction. 

Overall, scientists concluded that accessible and responsive partners were the most satisfied in their relationships.

This was encompassed under the umbrella of ‘behavioural competence’, with more anti-social partners deemed to be less skillful in relationships.

Optimism was also considered to be a key ‘perceptual’ factor of competence, with the best partners less prone to problematic insecurities and doubts.

But experts claim that competence also depends on the characteristics of our other halves.

If both partners are balanced in their optimism, sociability and accessibility, this can boost romantic satisfaction even further as a part of ‘interactive competence’.

This also links to ‘assortative matching’, as it’s believed that partners with similar levels of intelligence, attractiveness, money, status and kindness will get along much better in the long-run.  

These values increased with age, suggesting that extensive relationship experience can boost your wisdom on what not-to-do over time. 

Passion didn’t play a part in this at all however, with researchers claiming that it fizzles out over time. 

In light of this, psychologists Dr Louise Goddard-Crawley and Dr Gurpreet Kaur believe a recognition of our own romantic competence can help to improve relationships.

Dr Kaur told MailOnline: ‘There are many things to consider when thinking about one’s own “romantic competence” and becoming the best version of ourselves in relationships. 

‘The journey must start with self-awareness through self-reflection which means taking time to reflect on our own life experiences and how they have impacted us. Recognising patterns, both positive and negative, can be insights for growth.

‘Looking at important relationships around you and wondering what you have learned from them is also important, as learning can often be implicit meaning it is done without intent.’

Dr Goddard-Crawley also told MailOnline: ‘Romantic competence, viewed through the lens of attachment theory, hinges on an individual’s capacity to establish and sustain healthy, secure romantic bonds. 

‘As life continually evolves, relationships must adapt to various challenges and transitions. Romantic competence encompasses the ability to embrace change and collaboratively navigate life’s myriad twists and turns with a partner.’ 

Cher revealed the secrets to how she preserves her youthful looks at the age of 77 during an appearance on Good Morning Britain on Monday.

The singer who admitted that she ‘couldn’t believe she will be 80 soon’, revealed what she won’t be doing, the older she gets.

Speaking to hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls, who asked her how she stays so young and radiant, Cher said she would ‘never cut her hair short or stop wearing jeans’.

The mantra came as a surprise to host Susanna, who debuted a shorter hairstyle on the show, having cut her hair aged 52. 

Yet Cher explained: ‘I remember when my friend Paulette and I were talking about when we were going to cut our hair and stop wearing jeans.’

She continued: ‘I can’t believe I will be 80 at some point, sooner than I wish. And I will still be wearing my jeans and I will still be wearing long hair.

‘Genes in my family are pretty amazing.

‘I don’t know if not feeling old makes you younger. I’m not sure. I keep up with the trends and I have lots of young friends. 

‘I have old friends too. Honestly, I’m not trying to feel young, I’m not trying to be young, I am what I am, whatever that means.’

Host Susanna later took the debate to X (formerly known as Twitter) as she spoke about her own change in appearance. 

Sharing a before and after snap with her shorter hair, she penned: ‘The mid-life hair debate! At 52 I’ve had the CHOP. But Cher told me this morning, women should keep it LONG as they grow older. What do YOU think?’

Cher had appeared on the ITV breakfast show to speak about the time she rescued the World’s Loneliest Elephant in 2020.

Cher helped free the malnourished Asian elephant, named Kavaan, who had spent nearly 20 years chained up in a zoo. 

The actress said it was ‘so amazing’ to see Kavaan change his behaviour so quickly, once his surroundings improved.

She said: ‘When I first saw him, you saw him do the swaying thing, which means an elephant is in distress or having a breakdown.

‘So when I first saw him I knew what was going on because I knew the signs. I sang to him… really badly, but he was so beautiful. 

‘I was happy because it had taken us give years so I’d already had my pain five years before that and when I saw him I thought this is going to be so great.

‘I didn’t know how long it would take or if he would ever change that behaviour, but the night that we took him to the sanctuary, he came out of stress so quickly it was amazing.’

In May, the icon spoke openly about turning 77 in a candid post on Twitter and mused about not feeling old in the slightest.

Her post about her ageless beauty comes after her recent breakup with 37-year-old boyfriend Alexander ‘A.E.’ Edwards, who she reportedly ‘still cares’ for and could possibly reunite with in the future.

Cher tweeted: ‘Ok, Will Someone PLEASE Tell me…..When Will I Feel OLD. This is ridiculous. I keep hearing these numbers, but I Honestly can’t understand them. 

‘WHATS THE DEAL WITH #’s!? I’m dyslexic & #’s Are hard 4 me. Thank u for staying, I know it’s been hard. Got to go work out. Twitter is harder for me than TweetBot.’

Although, the If I Could Turn Back Time star split from Alexander, who is nearly four decades her junior, pals say the pair still have strong feelings for one another.

A source close to the star told the DailyMail that the legendary performer (born Cherilyn Sarkisian) has had an on/off relationship with A.E., sparking rumors of a possible reunion: ‘Cher is mercurial. And she changes her mind every minute.’ 

The source explained: ‘She actually really cares about A.E., and now that she’s closer to her kids, she wants more stability in her life. Although it’s off for now, no one in her close circle would be surprised to see them back together.

Cher is twice divorced and has son, Chaz Bono, 53, with her late ex-husband Sonny Bono who died in 1998 at age 62 from injuries sustained after hitting a tree while skiing. 

She was later married from 1975 to 1978 to late singer Gregg Allman who died in 2017 at age 69. Cher and Gregg had son Elijah Blue Allman, 46, together.

Cher has previously said she dates younger men – after dating Ron Zimmerman, who is 12 years her junior, Tom Cruise, when he was 23 and she was 38, and Bon Jovi’s Richie Sambora, who is 13 years younger than her.

She also dated entertainment executive David Geffen after splitting with Bono and dated for two years in the mid-70s. 

England vs Spain – the three key battles that could decide where the World Cup final will be won or lost

By Kathryn Batte For The Daily Mail

Published: 17:31 EDT, 18 August 2023 | Updated: 18:13 EDT, 18 August 2023

Besieged coach Tony Gustavsson claims the Matildas may delay a decision on how – and if – to use captain Sam Kerr in Australia’s crunch FIFA Women’s World Cup clash against Canada on Monday night until just before kick-off.

Having missed Australia’s opening two games of the tournament – including last Thursday night’s shock 3-2 loss to Nigeria – because of a calf injury, Kerr on Saturday said she was ‘available’ for selection for the virtual do-or-die affair.

Kerr also donned her boots for training sessions on Saturday and Sunday at the Matildas’ Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre base.

However after Sunday’s session, which went behind-closed-doors following the initial warm-up. Gustavsson was reluctant to reveal the extent of Kerr’s training involvement.

A meeting involving Gustavsson, the team’s medical staff and Kerr was due to take place on Sunday night but there was no guarantee a decision would be made at the time about the Chelsea star’s participation in the game at Melbourne’s AAMI Park.

‘I want to be clear that we knew she was going to miss the first two games and then be assessed going into this game, and that was going to go down to the wire,’ Gustavsson said.

‘We’re going to have a meeting with the medical team and Sam, and discuss what the possibility is for her to play (against Canada).

‘Then we’re going to do some tests (on Monday) to see what it looks like.

‘(With) calf injuries, one thing is that you’re available but there’s also risk when you come back from a muscle injury … so we need to balance how many minutes is she available, with what are the risks if we manage to go through to the playoffs (with) playing time … so there’s a lot on the table to discuss and we probably won’t know how exactly we’re going to use that until we come into the stadium (on Monday).’

Gustavsson, whose coaching methods and tactics have been widely panned during the tournament, admitted it would be a ‘failure’ if the Matildas were knocked out of the tournament in the group stages.

A win over Canada will secure the Matildas a round-of-16.

However, their World Cup dream will be over with a second successive loss, while a draw is also unlikely to be enough to progress to the knockout stages.

‘We know how this business works that there’s always going to be a lot of opinions … and most likely when you lose the game as well,’ Gustavsson said.

‘As a coach of a team, you’re never better than your last game, so right now I’m sitting up here as not the best of a coach.’

Canada coaching Bev Priestman said she was happy for her reigning Olympic Games gold medallists to spoil the party by eliminating the Matildas from the tournament prematurely.

‘I’m not going to make a headline about knocking the home nation out of the World Cup, but ultimately we want to win, so if that means that we knock Australia out, we knock Australia out,’ Priestman said.

‘I want to get three points. That’s all I’m focused on, to get three points, and move on and move into the next game.’

Priestman said the Canadians had ‘prepared’ to play against the ‘world-class’ Kerr.

‘But, ultimately, we’ve got to get us right. We’ve spoken about what it’s going to take to beat Australia because Australia aren’t just Sam Kerr,’ she said.

Priestman said with Matildas needing to ‘come out’ and chase a win, it would suit Canada’s style.

‘When teams do come out is when we find a way,’ she said.

‘It always feels nice when fate’s in your hands. When there’s three points on the line here, I’d like to think that this group will turn up and go for it, and that’s exactly what we’ll be looking to do.

We are coming into this game ready to go to take three points. You put grit against grit, and I think we see the best out of this group.’

Many women dream of larger breasts… But the experts say a bigger bust is NOT the key to happiness

• A study claims women with bigger cup sizes are less satisfied with their breasts 
• Researchers recruited 345 women, aged from 18 to 83, and took their details

By Xantha Leatham Deputy Science Editor

Updated: 19:54 EDT, 30 June 2023

The man who alerted authorities to Madeleine McCann prime suspect Christian Brueckner has claimed the girl’s suspected murderer said she ‘didn’t scream’ and that Scotland Yard ignored his tip-off, in his first ever public interview.

Key witness Helge Busching explained how he came to know about Brueckner’s shady past by discovering harrowing sexual abuse videos, and how his former acquaintance appeared to incriminate himself in Madeleine’s disappearance. 

Helge said he learned of Brueckner’s true nature well before the disappearance of McCann after stealing some videotapes and gun from Brueckner’s house along with an accomplice. 

Remembering the moment he witnessed the clips, which purportedly showed Brueckner sexually abusing an elderly American woman and a teenage girl in Portugal, Helge recounted: 

‘You could see how someone whipped the woman. She was tied up, lying on the bed, wearing painted ski goggles… must have been 70 or 80 years old. She shouted: You fucking b******!… then I saw it was Brueckner.

‘[The teenage victim] said: ”This borders on rape!” And he just said: ”Shut up.” That’s when I knew what kind of guy Brueckner was.’

Helge then left Portugal, but told German outlet Bild how he crossed paths with Brueckner, who has since been convicted for sex crimes, again in 2008 at a music festival in Spain.

‘He asked me, ”don’t you go to Portugal anymore and do business there?” 

‘I said, ”no, since the girl disappeared there, there have been too many police checks for me and I don’t need that at all.”

‘[The topic of Madeleine’s disappearance] came up and I said: ”Anyway, I don’t understand how the little one could have disappeared without a trace.”

‘Christian had drunk two or three beers, and he said: ”She didn’t scream.”

‘I thought: He knows that. He has something to do with it. But he also checked that I understood that and then left at night. 

‘At 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning he left a packed festival with his mobile home. I looked for him the next morning, but his neighbours said he had left.’

Helge went on to claimed he’d approached German authorities after finding the videotapes, but that a policeman told him to abandon them and keep quiet.

‘I spoke to a police officer I know in Germany. He said: ”Helge, keep your hands off it.” A lawyer told me the same thing. I wasn’t sure what could happen to me – I would have incriminated myself!’

He added that he tried to inform Scotland Yard about Brueckner in 2008 via the dedicated hotline for Madeleine McCann tips, but never heard back.

‘I called Scotland Yard back in 2008. At the Maddie hotline. I said I knew someone who might have something to do with it and gave them the name. But nothing happened there. Nothing! I was never called back.

‘In 2017 I had just served a prison sentence in Greece. When I heard about the 10th anniversary of the disappearance, I remembered. Apparently the call didn’t help at all. So I contacted Scotland Yard again.

‘Then they listened to me.’

Madeleine was staying with her family at a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal when she disappeared in May 2007.

The case, unsolved for the past 16 years, remains a mystery as no body has ever been found. 

Last month, investigators combed a reservoir in the Algarve for the videotapes, a camcorder and the gun tossed by Helge and his accomplice Manfred Seyferth after they stole the materials from Brueckner’s house.

An area of around 160 square feet had been flattened and cleared of grass and shrubs with several holes dug into the ground to a depth of around two feet.

There were also other holes dug into the foreshore close to the waterline and path close to the edge of the reservoir had been cleared.

It is thought the soil removed was taken away by German officials for closer analysis at a lab in Wiesbaden where the country’s investigative force, the BKA, are based.

Germans Seyferth and Busching were living on the Algarve at the same time as Brueckner and the two were involved in petty theft with him before having a falling out.

Footage on the video camera was said to show Brueckner torturing and raping an American woman, with footage of a girl around 15 years old also subjected to the same horrific ordeal.

In 2019 Brueckner was convicted by a German court of the rape of an elderly American woman in her home at Praia da Luz close to where Madeleine vanished, and was given a seven-year sentence.

He denies any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance. 

Madeleine was staying with her family at a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal when she disappeared in May 2007.

It was the penultimate day of the holiday when Madeleine went missing.

After a day of activities, Kate and Gerry McCann put their three children to bed at around 7pm.

Madeleine fell asleep in pink pyjamas and the parents relaxed with a bottle of wine.

At around 8:30pm, the McCanns joined their friends for a meal at the Tapas bar nearby.

Gerry McCann checked on Madeleine and her siblings at 9pm and found nothing amiss.

When Kate McCann went to check up on the children at 10pm, she found Madeleine had disappeared.

‘Madeleine’s gone! Someone’s taken her!’ she was reported to have said, running back to the restaurant.

Around the same time, a man was seen carrying a child matching Madeleine’s description. 

Investigators looked into claims a friend of the family, James Tanner, had seen a man carrying a sleeping child in pink pyjamas away from the apartment block at around 9:10pm on May 3, but the evidence was later discounted. Police said the man seen with the child was another holidaymaker with their own child.

Days turned into months and hundreds of police officers were called in to support the search. Possible sightings were reported. Seven months after her disappearance, a lorry driver told investigators he had seen a woman handing a man a child near Silves, a slightly quieter town due northeast of Praia da Luz.

Astonishingly, Portuguese police named Gerry and Kate McCann as suspects in the case after four months without results. They said they found incriminating DNA evidence at the holiday apartment and in the boot of their hire car. This line of inquiry was later dropped.

In July 2008, 14 months since Madeleine’s disappearance, Portugal’s attorney general ended the investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance after they had failed to uncover any evidence.

The case was handed over to private investigators working for the family until the Met issued new sketches of potential suspects in 2013. Investigators were the first to scour the reservoir now being searched in 2008 – 12 years before authorities said they were looking into a new German suspect.

Again, the investigation struggled to produce definitive results until authorities said they were investigating a 43-year-old in connection to the disappearance, later named as Christian Brueckner.

In 2020, authorities revealed a phonecall had located Christian Brueckner in Praia da Luz, where he lived from 1997 until 2007, around the time of Madeleine’s disappearance.

They traced the call and found it connected to the mast owned by the resort complex where the family had stayed. 

Brueckner had lived in a warehouse outside the village for several years but moved into a VW campervan just before Madeleine vanished. 

A Mail on Sunday investigation later found that Brueckner stayed in an old house in nearby Foral between 2007 and 2008 – after Madeleine’s disappearance.

That year, it was revealed that a witness claimed to have spotted Madeleine getting into a German-owned VW van with a man just weeks after her disappearance.

A police file detailed how a witness believed that had seen Madeleine emerging from a restaurant in the Spanish seaside town of Alcossebre in eastern Spain, before climbing into the van with an unidentified man.

Russia has sent a government plane to Washington DC to bring a group of diplomats back to Moscow, days after the Wagner group mutiny was quashed.

The State Department confirmed the landing of the plane, and said it was a routine procedure – reminding Russia that they expect them to honor the same protocols for returning U.S. diplomats.

But the move comes amid deep unease at this weekend’s insurgency led by Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, and will provide officials in Moscow with a chance to hear from the returning diplomats how events were seen in the United States.

The plane, an Ilyushin Il-96-300, took off from Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport at 10:05am on Tuesday.

It flew a circuitous route, heading directly north to skirt E.U. airspace before crossing the Atlantic.

It landed at Dulles airport in Washington DC at 2:08pm, after an 11 hour journey.

A State Department spokesperson confirmed the flight to i News.

‘The US government has allowed the Russian government to send a charter flight to the United States to transport to Russia those Russian diplomats whose assignments have ended.

‘We also maintain strict reciprocity with Russia regarding special transport missions.’

Matthew Miller, the State Department spokesman, later told reporters: ‘In exchange for granting these courtesies, we expect Russia to maintain open transport for our diplomats and cargo to our embassy in Moscow.’

The plane has a capacity, when configured for the maximum number of seats, for 262 people.

It is not known how many boarded, and how many disembarked.

A former U.S. intelligence agent told i News that the plane could also contain intelligence agents, who may want to meet with their U.S. counterparts. 

The intelligence official, who spent decades identifying Russian agents for the US government, told the site that ‘if deemed appropriate’ the Russian diplomats would schedule ‘high-level diplomatic meetings’ with the U.S. State Department. 

‘We will just have to wait and see,’ the former U.S. asset said.

The plane has in the past week flown to Asia, landing in Delhi at the same time as India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, was being feted at the White House by Joe Biden.

India remains a crucial trading partner for Russia, but Modi’s visit was hoped to reduce India’s dependence on Moscow for arms, economic ties and technology.

It was also intended to convince the Indian government to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

India has so far avoided voting against Russia or criticizing Vladimir Putin since the invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. 

The plane was also, in the last week, in Vietnam, ahead of a planned visit by the head of Russia’s parliament, the State Duma.

Volodin Vyacheslav Victorovich was expected to be in Vietnam at the weekend, but called off his trip amid the Wagner uprising.

Vietnam relies on Russia for much of its military equipment, and Russia has significant energy investments in Vietnam.

But the U.S. is trying to encourage international condemnation of the Ukraine invasion. Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, was in Vietnam in April.

The dust on Prigozhin’s shocking move to march through Russia towards Moscow is yet to settle.

The militia leader is reportedly now in exile in Belarus, and analysts are noting that it is remarkable he has managed to survive.

Putin is widely seen to be severely weakened by the aborted uprising, but it is unclear how this will affect the Ukraine conflict. 

Do moles on our bodies hold the key to curing baldness? They contain protein that causes ‘potent hair growth’, study finds

By Emily Joshu Health Reporter For Dailymail.Com

Updated: 09:21 EDT, 23 June 2023