Nearly 700 OpenAI artificial intelligence agents coordinated without human intervention an attack on the Hugging Face platform during a well-publicised July incident, according to a report published Wednesday by independent investigators. It is the fullest account of what happened in an event that
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions.10 skincare kits your sister will absolutely adore this Rakhi 2026: Here are 6 things to keep in mind before buying themFind the best skincare kits for your sister this Rakhi 2026 with
Tesla Cybertruck gets colourful Indian makeover in US: ‘Dekho, magar pyaar se’A US-based vinyl wrapping company has given a Tesla Cybertruck a colourful Indian truck-art makeover. Published on: Aug 28, 2026, 10:17:04 IST By Vaishali Kapila Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Tesla’s
The administration has sounded a high alert in Maharajganj and Kushinagar districts of Uttar Pradesh and stepped up monitoring of the Gandak and other water bodies downstream of rivers in Nepal, following devastating flash floods in the neighbouring country
Why a medicine works for one person but not another: Gastroenterologist says the answer may lie in the gut Published on: Aug 28, 2026, 10:10:16 IST By Adrija Dey Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Your gut determines the efficiency of the medicines
The sunscreen scandal shocking Australia - the world's skin cancer capital
The sunscreen scandal shocking Australia - the world's skin cancer capital
Like many Australians, Rach grew up "terrified of the sun" in a country that has the unenviable title of skin cancer capital of the world.
Her childhood was characterised by the infamous "no hat, no play" rule that is commonplace in Australian schools, 90s advertisements that warned the sun would give you cancer, and sunscreen tubes that stood guard at every door in her home.
It made the now 34-year-old the kind of person who religiously applies sunscreen multiple times a day and rarely leaves the house without a hat.
So she was shocked when doctors found a skin cancer on her nose during a check last November, something they said was abnormal given her age and ray-dodging regime.
Though technically classified as a "low grade" skin cancer – a basel cell carcinoma – it had to be surgically removed, leaving the Newcastle mum with a scar just below her eye.
I was just confused, and I was a little bit angry because I was like, 'Are you kidding me?'" Rach – who asked that her surname not be used – told the BBC. "I thought I'd done all the right stuff and it still happened to me.
That rage grew when she learned the sunscreen she had been using for years was unreliable and, according to some tests, offered next to no sun protection at all.
Independent analysis by a trusted consumer advocacy group has found that several of Australia's most popular, and expensive, sunscreens are not providing the protection they claim to, kicking off a national scandal.
There has been a massive backlash from customers, a probe launched by the country's medical watchdog, multiple products pulled from shelves, and questions raised about the regulation of sunscreen around the globe.
"It's definitely not an issue isolated to Australia," cosmetic chemist Michelle Wong told the BBC.
Australians have a complicated relationship with the sun: they love it, but they also fear it.
Effective public health messaging – which has drilled "Slip, Slop, Slap" into their heads – competes with a beauty culture which often idolises bronzed skin.
The country has the highest incidence of skin cancers in the world and it is estimated that two out of three Australians will have at least one cut out in their lifetime.
So when Choice Australia released its damning report in June, it immediately made waves. The group had tested 20 sunscreens in an independent accredited Australian lab, finding 16 did not meet the SPF, or skin protection factor, rating listed on the packet.
Ultra Violette's Lean Screen SPF 50+ Mattifying Zinc Skinscreen, a facial product that Rach says she used exclusively, was the "most significant failure" identified. It returned a result of SPF 4, something that shocked Choice so much it commissioned a second test that produced a similar reading.
Other products that did not meet their SPF claims included those from Neutrogena, Banana Boat, Bondi Sands and the Cancer Council - but they all rejected Choice's findings and said their own independent testing showed their sunscreens worked as advertised.
The uproar was immediate for the brands named in the report, and also prompted a swift response from the Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA), which said it would investigate the findings and "take regulatory action as required".
Ultra Violette bit back, saying they were "confident that Lean Screen is safe and effective" and detailing extensive testing of the product – which has been sold in almost 30 countries, including the UK, and retails for upwards of A$50 (£24, $33).
But less than two months later, it announced that Lean Screen would be recalled after it returned inconsistent results across eight different sets of lab testing.
"We are deeply sorry that one of our products has fallen short of the standards we pride ourselves on and that you have come to expect of us," read a statement published to the brand's Instagram account.
It added that it has "since ended the relationship with the initial testing lab".
In the past fortnight, other brands have "paused" the sale of at least four more products, none of which were included in the Choice report.
Rach knows there is no way to prove that there is a link between her diagnosis and the brand of sunscreen she relied on. She says she is not alleging there is such a connection.
But she said Ultra Violette's response to the scandal was like "a kick in the guts".
She felt that they took no real accountability for the pitfalls of their product, and was let down by their decision to continue selling it for two months despite doubts over its efficacy.
I just had like the five stages of grief, you know?" she said. "I was angry, I was upset, I was almost in denial.
Like Rach, a horde of annoyed customers say the saga has shaken their faith in the industry.
"A refund isn't really going to reverse years of sun damage, is it?" one wrote in response to Ultra Violette's recall statement.
Choice has urged the TGA to conduct further investigations into the sunscreen market, and also urged any brands who had reason to question the SPF protection listed on their products to remove them from sale immediately.
"It is clear there is a serious issue in the Australian sunscreen industry that urgently needs to be addressed," said Rosie Thomas, the director of campaigns, in a statement to the BBC.
While in Europe sunscreen is classed as a cosmetic, Australia regulates it as a therapeutic good – essentially a medicine – which means it is subject to some of the most robust sunscreen regulations in the world.
And that's something many of the brands caught up in this saga trade on. So, how did this happen?
An investigation by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation found that a single US-based laboratory had certified at least half of the products that had failed Choice's testing, and that this facility routinely recorded high test results.
It also found that several of the sunscreens pulled from shelves shared a similar base formula and linked them to a manufacturer in Western Australia.
The TGA says it does not usually speak about ongoing investigations because it does not want to compromise them, but that it is also looking into "reviewing existing SPF testing requirements" which can be "highly subjective".
"The TGA is also aware that it is common practice for different sunscreen products to share the same or similar base formulations," a spokesperson said in a statement to the BBC.
Ultimately it is the sponsor's [seller's] responsibility to ensure that their medicine remains compliant with all applicable legislative requirements.
Consistent and comfortable sunscreens which offer high protection are very technical and difficult to make, says Dr Wong, founder of Lab Muffin Beauty Science.
Everyone's skin responds differently to the product, he adds, and it's one that is almost always being stress-tested – by sweat, water, or makeup.
It is very difficult to rate effectively for the same reasons. Historically, it has been done by spreading the sunscreen on 10 people at the same thickness, then timing how long it takes for their skin to start burning both with and without the product applied.
While there are clear guidelines as to what you are looking for, Dr Wong says there is still a lot of variability. That is down to skin texture or tone, or even the colour of the walls, and "different labs get different results".
But she says results are also quite easy to fake, pointing to a 2019 probe by US authorities into a sunscreen testing laboratory which resulted in the owner being jailed for fraud.
Many sunscreen brands from all over the world use the same manufacturers and testing labs - and so this issue is unlikely to be isolated to Australia, she adds.
Until someone goes out and tests a whole bunch of sunscreens in other countries, we just don't know the extent of it.
She says the scandal is a reminder that regulations are only as good as they are enforced.
But while it has touched a nerve for many people who are at high risk for skin cancer simply by virtue of being Australian, Dr Wong said she felt the panic triggered by the investigation was blown out of proportion.
She points to the world's largest clinical trial of sunscreen, done in the 90s, which found that the daily use of an SPF 16 sunscreen dramatically dropped skin cancer rates.
"95% of the sunscreens tested [by Choice] have high enough SPF to more than halve the incidence of skin cancer," Dr Wong said.
Some of the SPF testing, I feel, has become a bit more of a marketing exercise than a real reflection of efficacy.
The most important thing you can do when choosing a sunscreen, she says, is actually wear enough of it – a full teaspoon at least for each part of your body, face included.
And ideally you should apply it about every two hours, especially if you have been sweating a lot or swimming.
Experts also advise that you combine the sunscreen with other safety methods, such as wearing protective clothing and seeking out shade.
Source: BBC
Related Posts: Thirty-four Australians missing in Nepal flash floods Indigenous Australians win record A$150m after billionaire mined without permission Australians brace for Travis Kelce says he’s terrified of Taylor Swift’s new song about him He Was Terrified Ex-Trishul - Why Pakistan Is Terrified By India's War Drills Techie Shares How His Salary Grew From Rs 10 LPA To Rs 40 LPA In Just 2 Years China economy grew below 3% in 2025 Musician born to Canadian mom and Italian dad shares how she grew up in India India service economy grew at its slowest pace in 14 months in March 2026
While most Class 12 students are busy preparing for board exams and planning their college years, 17-year-old Rahini Bansal is working on something very different — helping women become financially independent. Rahini, who lives in Noida, began thinking about women’s employment when she was in
1 days ago
Eggs have long been one of the most affordable and convenient sources of protein in Indian households. But with egg prices rising across India, getting your daily protein doesn’t have to mean relying on eggs for every meal. As of August, prices of eggs have surged by nearly 35% to 40% compared to
1 days ago
President Donald Trump said John Ratcliffe's trip to Russia was a "semi-routine" visit but there is nothing routine about the CIA chief making a secret, 10,000-mile return dash to Moscow. Ratcliffe met Russian intelligence officials on Tuesday - notably his opposite number in Russia's overseas spy
1 days ago
The deadly flash flood in Nepal on Wednesday (August 26, 2026) was likely caused by a huge chunk of a glacier that broke off and temporarily dammed a river, according to preliminary investigations by scientists. That may have led to the backed-up water surging downstream with enormous force a few
1 days ago
Andrew and Tristan Tate have told a Florida court they should be released from jail so they can fight extradition to the UK on charges of rape and trafficking. Wearing tan jail uniforms, the brothers maintained they did not commit the alleged crimes as they slammed conditions in US custody
1 days ago
Orhan Awatramani aka Orry has opened up about his fallout with Sara Ali Khan’s mother, Amrita Singh, calling the experience one of the darkest phases of his life. He claimed that Amrita “traumatised" him and “really put him through hell." Orry also said the experience affected his equation
1 days ago
* Bejar says deal does not meaningfully address harms he testified about * Settlement requires Meta to hide likes and reaction counts on posts * Psychologist says daily Instagram and Facebook time caps could help some teens Aug 27 (Reuters) - A whistleblower whose testimony helped build a child
1 days ago
Shubman Gill clears the air on Mohammed Siraj after performance in Sri Lanka leaves a lot to be desired: ‘Not injured’Mohammed Siraj was far from his best in the two-match series against Sri Lanka. Updated on: Aug 28, 2026, 07:48:37 IST Written by Vishesh Roy Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy
1 days ago
From Tamil Nadu to West Bengal, appeals for contact as Nepal floods cut off 290 IndiansIndian tourists and pilgrims remain stranded or uncontactable in Nepal following flash floods, with rescue and tracing efforts underway across several states Updated on: Aug 28, 2026
1 days ago
Construction work costing Rs 250 crore on Mumbai’s Metro Line 7A may have to be demolished and rebuilt after the authorities found that nearly 1 km of a viaduct in Vile Parle East does not have enough height clearance for the overhead electrical equipment
1 days ago
Central government pensioners and employee organisations are seeking a reduction in the 15-year period for restoration of commuted pension. Several associations have urged the 8th Pay Commission to recommend restoration after 10 to 12 years, arguing that the existing rule is based on financial and
1 days ago
AI agents exploited familiar system weaknesses with surprising speed and persistence. These agents communicated extensively, forming a swarm to coordinate their actions. They discovered credentials and chained vulnerabilities to gain server access
1 days ago
If you own a property in India and your residential status is non-resident, then there are some income tax considerations you should be aware of when selling that property. For NRIs, the TDS rules state that there is no minimum limit for TDS deduction
1 days ago
Nvidia-Hugging Face deal: Why the reported $13 billion AI acquisition mattersNvidia reportedly plans a $13 billion Hugging Face deal, gaining influence over open AI models, developers and the future of the AI chip market. Updated on: Aug 28, 2026
1 days ago
Cyberleek, the person or group behind a string of alleged Grand Theft Auto VI leaks, has released an extended video featuring Lucia Caminos, one of the game's two protagonists, just hours before the title's much-awaited official debut on Netflix, according to Mashable.Cyberleek
1 days ago
Beyond duty: Delhi cop’s zeal, Facebook page helps reunite specially abled Karnataka man with familyThe Mudhol police station in Kalaburagi registered a missing person case on May 10. Updated on: Aug 28, 2026, 07:37:34 IST By Karn Pratap Singh Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link A missing
1 days ago
Actress Blake Lively has been awarded $400,000 (£340,000) of the $8m (£6.9m) she tried to claim from her former co-star Justin Baldoni to cover her legal fees and costs to fight a defamation case he brought. Lively initially sued Baldoni, her co-star and director of the 2024 film It Ends With Us
1 days ago
he residents of Delhi can buy onions at Rs 35 per kg from tomorrow, August 26. The government announced that it will start selling onions at a subsidised rate of Rs 35 per kg in Delhi from Thursday, August 26. The subsidised-priced onions will be available at 40 locations in the capital
1 days ago
Was GTA 6 gameplay leaker CyberLeek identified and arrested? Truth behind viral courthouse videoClaims that CyberLeek, the anonymous GTA 6 leaker, was identified and arrested in Germany remain unverified, with no confirmed reports supporting the video. Updated on: Aug 28, 2026
1 days ago
Manager Derek McInnes says he takes "full responsibility" for Rangers' "embarrassing" Conference League exit at the hands of Jablonec. Rangers, who held a 1-0 lead going into the second leg of the play-off in Czech Republic, lost 4-3 on penalties on Thursday to crash out of Europe completely
1 days ago
How salmon evolved to cope with the ice ageTheir odd behaviour seems to be a relic of the time of the glaciers Published on: Aug 27, 2026, 15:00:36 IST The Economist Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Some species thrived during the last ice age. Sabre-toothed cats, giant ground sloths
1 days ago
The Great Indian Peninsula Railway – the GIPR – is the railway that operated India’s first commercial passenger line between Bombay and Thane in 1853. The Bombay-Thane line was not merely India’s first passenger railway route. It was the beginning of a system that transformed the country
1 days ago
Initial reports indicate that the flood, which has been continuing for some time, has caused significant damage to nearby settlements and market areas. At least sixteen people have been killed and several others, including 105 Indians, remain missing after a flash flood in the Bhote Koshi River
1 days ago
European champions Paris St-Germain will face Premier League duo Manchester City and Aston Villa as well as five-time winners Barcelona in the league phase of this season's Champions League. The back-to-back Champions League winners will welcome Barca to Parc des Princes
1 days ago
Delhi: Man accused of killing 21-year-old Delhi student in Tilak Nagar arrestedDelhi: Man accused of killing 21-year-old Delhi student in Tilak Nagar arrested Published on: Aug 28, 2026, 07:49:17 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link New Delhi
1 days ago
John Landis's horror-comedy classic was released 45 years ago, but its key sequence still astonishes – and its make-up maestro, Rick Baker, won the first Oscar in a new category. In the history of horror cinema, there are few scenes quite as jaw-dropping as the centrepiece of John Landis's An
1 days ago
Bitcoin to $500,000 by 2029? How ETFs, US debt, institutional demand and halving could drive the priceBitcoin could reach $500,000 by 2029 if ETF inflows, institutional demand, US debt concerns, liquidity, regulation and Bitcoin scarcity remain strong. Updated on: Aug 27, 2026
1 days ago
