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NASA’s Mars rover has suffered “abuse” while it has been roaming the red planet, according to the space agency.

The Curiosity Rover has been exploring Mars since 2012, sending back crucial information about the planet as it rolls around the rocky terrain near the Gale Crater where it landed.

Sharing a picture of one of the Curiosity rover’s battered wheels, Ashley Stroupe, a mission operations engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said the rover “is still holding up well despite taking some of the worst abuse from Mars”.

Two images were released of the wheel which were taken by the rover’s “hand lens imager” which sits at the end of its robotic arm.

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity took this picture using its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI). Pic: NASA
Image:
NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity took this picture using its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI). Pic: NASA

The rover has six wheels and the images were taken of its right-middle wheel.

The images were part of NASA’s “periodic check-in on our wheels to see how they are holding up on the rough terrain”, according to Ms Stroupe in the blog post.

Phobos, one of Mars' two moons and Earth, captured for the first time by the Curiosity Rover. Pic: NASA/X
Image:
Phobos, one of Mars’ two moons and Earth, captured for the first time by the Curiosity Rover. Pic: NASA/X

A few weeks earlier, the Curiosity Rover captured a photo of Earth with one of Mars’s moons for the first time.

“POV: You’re on Mars, looking up at the night sky and you notice…,” posted the team behind the Rover on X.

“That’s Phobos, one of Mars’ two moons – and the tiny evening “star” to its right is Earth!”

The Curiosity Rover's route on Mars. Pic: NASA
Image:
The Curiosity Rover’s route on Mars. Pic: NASA

The rover has covered 20 miles on the planet and is currently in an area called the Gedis Vallis.

Its mission objective is to “determine if Mars was ever able to support microbial life”, which would give scientists clues as to whether life could now be supported on the planet.

The bright white stones of Sheep Creek, taken by the Curiosity rover. Pic: NASA
Image:
The bright white stones of Sheep Creek, taken by the Curiosity rover. Pic: NASA

Last weekend it completed a “highly anticipated examination” of white stones in the Sheep Creek, also investigating Cloud Canyon, Moonlight Lake, and Angora Mountain.

Those place names “sound so lovely and soft, and are quite evocative of these pale stones, which stand out so much against the background”, said Alex Innanen, an atmospheric scientist at York University who wrote the latest Curiosity blog post.

The team operating the rover are trying to discover if the rocks contain sulphur, like another sulphuric rock pile that was accidentally discovered earlier this year when the rover cracked it open with its wheels.

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Mars plays a big role in plans for humanity.

Space and tech billionaire Elon Musk says he plans to have a self-sustaining human colony on Mars in the next two decades, and will try and blast off five Starship spaceships to the planet in the next two years.

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If those launches go well, he’s aiming for humans to be sent up to Mars by 2028.

“Eventually,” he said in a recent X post about the missions, “there will be thousands of Starships going to Mars and it will [be] a glorious sight to see!”

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US President Donald Trump says he ‘may or may not’ strike Iran as Israel’s air war continues

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US President Donald Trump says he 'may or may not' strike Iran as Israel's air war continues

US President Donald Trump says he has yet to decide whether the US will join Israel militarily in its campaign against Iran.

Asked whether the US was getting closer to striking Iran’s nuclear facilities, Mr Trump said: “I may do it. I may not do it.”

Speaking outside the White House on Wednesday, he added: “Nobody knows what I’m going to do…Iran’s got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate.

“And I said, ‘why didn’t you negotiate with me before all this death and destruction?'”

Mr Trump said Iran had reached out to Washington, a claim Tehran denied, with Iran’s mission to the UN responding: “No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House.”

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran would not surrender and warned “any US military intervention will undoubtedly cause irreparable damage” to US-Iranian relations.

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Why did Israel attack Iran?

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The families caught up in Iran-Israel attacks

Strikes continue

Hundreds have reportedly died since Iran and Israel began exchanging strikes last Friday, when Israel launched an air assault after saying it had concluded Iran was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon, a claim Tehran denies.

Israel launched three waves of aerial attacks on Iran in the last 24 hours, military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin has said.

Israel deployed dozens of warplanes to strike over 60 targets in Tehran and western Iran, including missile launchers and missile-production sites, he said.

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Can Iran’s leadership be toppled?

“The aim of the operation is to eliminate the existential threat to the State of Israel, significantly damage Iran’s nuclear programme in all its components, and severely impact its missile array,” he said.

Early on Thursday Israel issued an evacuation warning to residents of the Iranian Arak region where Iran has heavy water reactor facilities. Heavy water is important in controlling chain reactions in the production of weapons grade plutonium.

Meanwhile Iran says it has arrested 18 people it describes as “enemy agents” who it says were building drones for the Israelis in the northern city of Mashhad.

Iran also launched small barrages of missiles at Israel on Wednesday with no reports of casualties. Israel has now eased some restrictions for its civilians.

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The US is working to evacuate its citizens from Israel by arranging flights and cruise ship departures, the US ambassador to the country has said.

In the UK, Sir Keir Starmer chaired a COBRA emergency meeting on the situation in the Middle East, with a Downing Street spokesperson saying: “Ministers were updated on efforts to support British nationals in region and protect regional security, as well as ongoing diplomatic efforts”.

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UK attorney general ‘has questions’ on legality of Israel’s actions in Iran

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UK attorney general 'has questions' on legality of Israel's actions in Iran

The UK government’s top legal adviser has raised questions over whether Israel’s actions in Iran are lawful, according to a source familiar with discussions inside the government.

The source suggested to Sky News that Attorney General Richard Hermer’s thinking, which has not been published, complicates the UK’s potential involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict.

If the attorney general deems Israel’s actions in Iran to be unlawful then the UK is restricted in its ability to help to defend Israel or support the United States in any planned attacks on Iran.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said that the attorney general’s concerns limit UK involvement in the conflict “unless our personnel are targeted”.

US President Donald Trump is currently weighing up his options for Iran and has repeatedly suggested the US could get involved militarily.

Members of the Israeli special forces check the remains of a suspected ballistic missile in northern Israel.
Pic: Reuters
Image:
Members of the Israeli special forces check the remains of a suspected ballistic missile in northern Israel.
Pic: Reuters

This would likely involve the use of US B-2 bombers to drop bunker-busting bombs to destroy Iran’s nuclear facility built deep into the side of a mountain at Fordow.

These B-2 bombers could be flown from the UK base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, strategically close to Iran.

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The US could also choose to fly them the far greater distance from the US mainland.

Under a long-standing convention, the UK grants permission to the US for the base to be used for military operations.

The US military could also request the use of the UK military base in Cyprus, for refuelling planes.

Any refusal by the British could complicate US military action and, diplomatically, put pressure on the trans-Atlantic relationship.

Israel’s justification

Israel has justified its war by claiming that Iran poses an “imminent” and “existential” threat to Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cited his country’s own undisclosed intelligence claiming Iran was on the brink of obtaining a nuclear weapon.

The Israeli government also claimed, without publishing evidence, that Iran was planning an imminent attack on Israel.

They also cited the recent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report which concluded that Iran had been “less than satisfactory” in “a number of respects” on its international compliance over its nuclear activities.

It is not clear what aspect of Israel’s justification for military action the attorney general has concerns over.

The Attorney General’s Office has told Sky News: “By long-standing convention, reflected in the ministerial code, whether the law officers have been asked to provide legal advice and the content of any advice is not routinely disclosed.

“The convention provides the fullest guarantee that government business will be conducted at all times in light of thorough and candid legal advice.”

The UK armed forces have previously rallied to help defend Israel from Iranian missile and drone strikes when the two sides engaged in direct confrontation last year.

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Michael Clarke and Dominic Waghorn answer your questions about the Israel-Iran conflict

In April 2024, RAF typhoon jets shot down drones fired from Iran.

The UK military was also involved in efforts to defend Israel from a ballistic missile attack in October 2024.

But the UK has not been involved in the current conflict, which began when Israel targeted Iranian nuclear facilities and scientists as well as more definitive military targets such as missile launchers and commanders.

The UN’s nuclear watchdog has previously raised concerns about any attack against nuclear facilities because of the inherent danger but also the legality.

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A number of resolutions passed by the IAEA’s general conference has said “any armed attack on and threat against nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes constitutes a violation of the principles of the United Nations Charter, international law and the Statute of the Agency”.

Israel believes that Iran’s nuclear programme has a military use, which makes it a legitimate target.

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It believes the regime is aimed to enrich uranium to develop nuclear weapons.

Tehran, however, has always insisted its nuclear programme is for civilian use.

The site of an Iranian missile attack on Israel. Pic: Reuters
Image:
The site of an Iranian missile attack on Israel. Pic: Reuters

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has also condemned Israel’s use of armed force against Iran as a violation of the United Nations (UN) Charter and international law.

Interpretations of International Law

Different countries adopt varying interpretations on the use of force in response to future attacks.

The first legal position is that nations can act preventatively to deflect threats.

The second is that they can act to deflect future armed attacks that are imminent.

The third is that states can only act to deflect attacks that have occurred.

Flames rise from an oil storage facility after it appeared to have been struck by an Israeli missile in Tehran. Pic: AP
Image:
An oil storage facility after it appeared to have been struck by an Israeli missile in Tehran. Pic: AP

That third position is generally considered to be too restrictive and the first as too broad.

The grey area lies with the second position, and it rests with the definition of “imminent”.

The concepts of “proportionality”, “necessity” and “imminence” are key considerations.

International law scholars have told Sky News that Israel may pass the “proportionality” test in its actions against Iran because its targets appear to have been military and nuclear.

But whether there was the “necessity” to attack Iran at this point is more questionable.

The attorney general would likely be considering the key legal test of the ‘imminence’ of the Iranian threat against Israel – and whether it is reasonable to conclude that an attack from Iran was “imminent” – as he weighs the legal advice issued to UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

There is always nuance with legal advice, judgements rest on a variety of factors and advice can evolve.

In the run up to the 2003 Gulf War, the US and UK justified their action by arguing that Saddam Hussein possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction – a claim that turned out to be wrong.

The then-attorney general’s advice, which evolved, was central to Tony Blair’s decision to join President Bush in attacking Iraq.

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The speed at which Israel ‘took down’ Iranian air defences was ‘shocking’, ex-Mossad intelligence chief claims

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The speed at which Israel 'took down' Iranian air defences was 'shocking', ex-Mossad intelligence chief claims

A former director of intelligence at Israeli spy agency Mossad has told Sky News it was “shocking” how quickly Israel “took down” Iran’s air defences.

On 13 June, the Israeli military, in an operation called “Rising Lion”, started carrying out aerial attacks on Iran, hitting sites including some of its most important nuclear installations.

Israel said Iran was on the verge of building a nuclear bomb – something Tehran has always denied seeking from its uranium enrichment programme.

Since those air attacks, both countries have been trading daily missile strikes.

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Attacks in Tehran overnight

Live updates: US prepares evacuation flights from Israel

Ex-Mossad boss Zohar Palti told The World With Yalda Hakim that it took his country’s air force 36-48 hours to “dominate completely” the skies above Iran.

“This is shocking in a way. This is amazing,” he said.

He added: “We thought that it would be much harder, you know, because I don’t want to brag or do things like that. I mean, it was much more fast than we anticipated.”

Israeli ceasefire ‘could be in days’

Mr Palti said he believes that in two days to a week, Israel “can call” a ceasefire.

“We will need of course the international community and when I say the international community, it’s basically the Americans in this case and no doubt we will need the support of the E3, meaning the Europeans,” he added.

Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and points to its right to acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, including enrichment.

Mr Palti said the Americans have the ability to “take all the [Iranian] regime in a couple of hours”.

He said Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was at a “crossroads” and had two options – “the existence of the regime” or “give up his inspiration right now to build a military nuclear bomb. I think it’s an easy decision”.

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Zohar Palti, former Mossad director of intelligence
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Zohar Palti, former Mossad director of intelligence

Some Israeli officials have admitted Israel won’t be able to completely destroy Iran’s nuclear programme, unless US bombers drop ordnance that can penetrate sites buried deep underground.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that any US strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will “result in irreparable damage for them” and that his country would not bow to Donald Trump’s call for surrender.

On Wednesday, President Trump would not say whether he has decided to order an American strike on Iran.

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Supreme leader’s warning to US

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed on Monday that Israel’s control of Iranian airspace was “a game-changer”.

And national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said pilots could operate “against countless more targets” over Tehran, thanks to the destruction of “dozens and dozens” of air defence batteries.

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In the latest bombing, Israel said its air force destroyed the headquarters of Iran’s internal security service.

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