The expansion of the universe may be slowing down, rather than accelerating, according to a new study. “If confirmed”, this would have “profound implications for the fate of the universe”, said The Guardian.

The study findings challenge the Nobel Prize-winning theory of dark energy and suggest that, “rather than expanding forever”, the universe could end in a “reverse Big Bang scenario” – or Big Crunch.

What is happening?
In the 1990s, astronomers first estimated the expansion of the universe by studying exploding stars, known as type 1a supernovas. The distant supernovas were dimmer than expected, leading scientists to conclude that the expansion had sped up and was continuing to accelerate.

But these new findings from a team at Yonsei University in South Korea suggest that this force – dark energy – “may not be driving galaxies apart at an accelerating rate any more”, said Space.com. By estimating the ages of 300 host galaxies, the researchers concluded that there were variations in the properties of stars in the early universe that meant they produced, on average, fainter supernovas.

Who said what?
There was a “key assumption” that “turned out to be incorrect”, said Young-Wook Lee, one of the study’s authors. “It’s like doing up a shirt with the first button fastened incorrectly.”

This is “definitely interesting” and “very provocative”, said Carlos Frenk, a cosmologist at the University of Durham, but it “may well be wrong”.

The “influential” Desi consortium reached a conclusion similar to the researchers earlier this year, said The Guardian, so “a fierce debate is opening up in cosmology” over dark energy and the “probable fate” of the universe.

What does this all mean?
If the findings are confirmed, it could “open an entirely new chapter” in the “quest” to “understand the past and future of the universe”, said Phys.org.

It could “revolutionise” our understanding of the universe, said Space.com, and “offer clues about how our cosmos will end”. If dark energy has “lost the battle against gravity”, the next step could be “the contraction of space” and the end of the universe in a Big Crunch.

Tesla’s board has approved a $1 trillion pay package for CEO Elon Musk on condition that he meets a series of performance targets over the next decade. “It’s not just a new chapter for Tesla,” said Musk. “It’s a new book.”

The decision was met with “cheers and chants” at the company’s annual shareholders meeting, said CNN. Musk does not receive a salary but, assuming the “lofty” targets are met, the shares in the package would be worth $275 million a day, “dwarfing any other executive pay package in history”.

‘Miracle man’
The central requirement of the deal is to raise the value of Tesla from around $1 trillion to $8.5 trillion. The scale of Musk’s remuneration, if he achieves the targets, is “staggering”, said The Guardian. It “exceeds the GDP of entire countries, including Ireland, Sweden and Argentina”. Many investors see Musk as a “miracle man capable of stunning business feats”, making him indispensable to Tesla. 

Despite the fact that his turbulent venture into US politics destabilised Tesla’s sales – including a 50% decline in Germany – Musk will always be seen by his supporters as the man who took Tesla from the “brink of bankruptcy” to “one of the world’s most valuable companies”. 

‘Erratic leader’
Despite 75% of shareholders voting in favour of the proposal, others have been “raising concerns about its scale and potential risks”, said ABC News. One major shareholder, Norway’s $2 trillion sovereign wealth fund, expressed reservations about the “total size of the award” and the “lack of mitigation of key person risk”.

The target “won’t be easy” to meet, said Sky News. Musk will need to deliver 20 million Tesla vehicles over the next decade, which is “double the number churned out” since 2013. He also needs to “roll out” one million AI-powered robots – and  Tesla “hasn’t released a single one so far”. Most importantly, Musk needs to provide a “succession plan” for his chief executive role.

Critics of the deal point out the danger of concentrating power in “one erratic leader” who has blindly “ignored the challenges the company has faced”, said The Guardian.

A religious procession at the Ulun Danu Beratan Temple in Bali. The famous temple complex, on the shores of Lake Beratan near Bedugul, is dedicated to Dewi Danu, the Balinese Hindu goddess of lakes and rivers.

Mladen Antonov / AFP / Getty Images

Somerset: The Old Rectory, Cricket Malherbie
Picturesque 18th century property, set in mature grounds. 5 beds, 5 baths, kitchen, 3 receps, 2-bed self-contained annexe, outbuildings, garden, parking. £1.6 million; Symonds and Sampson

East Lothian: The McLaren Wing, Tyninghame House, Dunbar
A wing of this handsome A-listed property, with direct access to Tyninghame Beach. 5 beds, 2 baths, kitchen, 3 receps, study, communal gardens and parkland, parking. OIEO £950,000; Rettie

Aberdeenshire: Rubislaw House, Aberdeen
Eye-catching 19th century house in the heart of the city’s West End, built by John Pirie and Arthur Clyne. A superb example of Aberdeen granite carving, featuring an oversized angle turret and oriel windows with stained glass. Main suite, 5 further beds, 2 baths, kitchen/dining room, 4 receps, 2-bed annexe, garden, parking. OIEO £1.5 million; Savills

Merseyside: North Lodge, Thornton Hough
Built in 1894, a charming Grade II property that’s part of the Thornton Hall estate. Surrounded by rolling countryside with impressive views. 3 beds, family bath, shower, kitchen, 2 receps, gym, garden, parking. £825,000; Inigo

Cumbria: Hewthwaite Hall, Setmurthy
Fine Grade II manor house set in approx. 8 acres within the Lake District National Park. 3 beds, 2 baths, 3 receps, kitchen/diner, garden, substantial detached barn, parking. £800,000; Finest Properties

The Republicans can’t win with Trump – or without him
Sarah Baxter in The i Paper
America’s Democrats have been “in the doldrums”, writes Sarah Baxter of the Marie Colvin Center for International Reporting. But, following their “triumph” in this week’s elections in New York, Virginia and New Jersey, “their heads are now up”. Voters “mutinied against their Maga overlords”, leaving the Republicans “in a quandary”. “On the one hand”, Donald Trump is “the Republicans’ best campaigner”; but “on the other”, his record in office “is clearly turning voters off”.

Urban Bears Bring Fur and Loathing to Japan
Gearoid Reidy on Bloomberg
Japan is sending “the army to tackle the scourge of bears in the north of the country”, writes Gearoid Reidy. Bears have killed 12 people “this year alone” and attacked “nearly 200”. They’ve been “spotted in supermarkets”, “school grounds” and even the “bustling” city of Morioka. It’s partly “about climate change” and “a shortage of food” but also “severe” rural population decline: “there aren’t enough people to keep” these animals “in check” and that’s “emboldening” them.

Passwords are the bane of modern life
The Times’ editorial board
For the password for the Louvre’s “surveillance system” to be LOUVRE was “the digital equivalent of the welcome mat”, says The Times. Yet “there but for the grace of God”. Updating passwords is such “torture” that “many of us simply give up”. The most “commonly used passwords” are “123456”, “qwerty” or “password”. Hackers crack those in “precisely one second”. Hopefully for the “boys at the Louvre”, their “next password will be very secret. Like ‘secret’. It’s quite popular.”