RSA

Daniel Gultsch, developer of the Android XMPP chat app Conversations, has announced that the app is now available free of charge and that he is moving away from distributing it through Google Play. In a blog post titled 'Breaking Up with Google Play', he explains the reasoning behind making Conversations free and rethinking its store presence.

SpaceX has carried out a full launch rehearsal at Starbase, Texas, as it prepares for the 14th test flight of its Starship rocket. The dress rehearsal included countdown procedures and fueling of the launch vehicle. Spaceflight watchers are following the mission closely, as each Starship flight tests new milestones for the vehicle intended for missions to the Moon and Mars.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly dealing with unresolved questions about their security arrangements as the world marks the anniversary of Princess Diana's death. Commentators are drawing parallels between the couple's safety concerns and the circumstances surrounding Diana's fatal crash in Paris, keeping the royal family's security debate in the spotlight.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reaffirmed India's policy of 'zero tolerance against terrorism' ahead of the 10th anniversary of the 2016 surgical strikes across the Line of Control. His remarks come as India commemorates the operation launched in response to the Uri attack, with the anniversary prompting renewed focus on the government's national security record.

Scientists report that dust levels in Earth's atmosphere have declined, reversing a long-running trend. The shift is described as mysterious because its cause is not yet understood. Dust in the atmosphere affects climate, air quality and ocean ecosystems, so the change could have far-reaching implications for climate modeling.

A new cryptography paper describes forging 1024-bit RSA signatures in time close to the special number field sieve, a faster attack method previously thought impractical at this key size. The result, published on the IACR eprint archive, suggests 1024-bit RSA keys offer less security margin than assumed, and readers are debating whether older systems still relying on them need urgent upgrades to 2048-bit or larger keys.

The UN Human Rights Council has adopted Namibia's Universal Periodic Review outcome by consensus, a step the report describes as a significant milestone in the country's ongoing engagement with the international human rights system. The UPR process involves UN member states reviewing each other's human rights records and accepting or noting recommendations. Adoption by consensus indicates no member state objected to the outcome document.

Nintendo is ending service for Mario Kart Tour, its mobile Mario Kart game that launched on 25 September 2019. The shutdown will come just five days after the game's seventh anniversary. Gamers are marking the occasion and raising concerns about preservation, since smartphone titles that rely on servers typically become unplayable once official support ends.