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The process of diagnosing a child with autism relies largely on a parent's description of the child's behavior and a professional's observations. It leaves a lot of room for human error.Parents’ concerns can skew the way they answer questionnaires. Providers may have biases, leading them to underdiagnose certain groups. Children may exhibit very different symptoms, depending on factors such as culture and gender.A study published Monday in Nature Microbiology adds to a growing body of research suggesting an unlikely pathway to more objective autism diagnoses: the gut microbiome.After analyzing more than 1,600 stool samples from children ages 1 to 13, researchers found several distinct biological "markers" in the samples from autistic children. Unique traces of gut bacteria, fun...

A Russian strike devastated a crowded children's hospital in central Kiev on Monday, part of a large-scale air strike that has killed at least 20 people in several cities across Ukraine.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at least 40 long-range missiles were fired at targets across the country in the deadly barrage, and that people were trapped under the rubble of a children's hospital. Damage was also reported in central and eastern Ukraine, raising questions about the state of Ukraine's air defenses, just a day before NATO leaders meet in Washington to discuss how to strengthen them.At least 50 people were injured in the bombing, according to Ihor Klymenko, head of the Interior Ministry. Officials warned that the death toll was likely to rise.In Kiev, local authoritie...

Are you getting ominous warnings about your phone’s storage space? Have you ever pulled out your phone to show someone a certain photo and had to scroll for minutes to find it? If you’ve accumulated gigabytes of images over the years, streamlining your photo library and deleting other apps and unnecessary files can help you reclaim that space. Here’s a guide to doing just that using free tools that are probably already on your phone.Check storageStart the cleaning process by taking note of the space on your device and what is filling it up.On many Android devices, open the Settings app and select Storage to check your available space.On a Samsung Galaxy device, open the Settings app, select Device care or Device maintenance, then tap Storage. On some phones, you can scroll down to Storage....

Huda Omari sat outside a broker's office in Jordan for two days, waiting for a visa to undertake the annual hajj, or pilgrimage, to Saudi Arabia.In Egypt, Magda Moussa’s three children pooled their resources to raise nearly $9,000 to fulfill their dream of accompanying their mother on the hajj. When she got the green light to make the trip, she said, relatives and neighbors in her village cheered.The daylong pilgrimage is a deep spiritual journey and a daunting trek even under the best of circumstances. But this year, amid record heat, at least 1,300 pilgrims did not survive the hajj, and Saudi officials said more than 80 percent of the dead were pilgrims without permits.Ms. Omari and Ms. Moussa were among a large number of unregistered pilgrims who relied on illicit or fraudulent tour...

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday, courting another authoritarian partner after talks last week in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin.In announcing Mr. Orban’s visit to Beijing, China’s official Xinhua news agency said only that Mr. Xi would hold “in-depth discussions with him on issues of mutual concern.” The leaders last met two months ago, when Mr. Xi visited Budapest as part of a push to restore Chinese influence in Europe.Chinese state television said Mr Xi and Mr Orbán were holding talks at the Diaooyutai State Guesthouse, but gave no further details.The meeting will give Mr. Xi and Mr. Orbán, an outlier in the European Union in support for Ukraine and other issues, a chance to urge the bloc to distance itself from W...

Times Insider explains who we are and what we do, offering behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism is made.After recording about 90 episodes of "Hard Fork," a weekly New York Times podcast about technology and business, life is pretty much the same for its hosts, Kevin Roose and Casey Newton. That is, except for the occasional fan encounter, which is a new and sometimes surprising experience for them.“Just last night, I was having dinner with two friends who were visiting from out of town,” Mr. Newton said. “As I was coming back from the bathroom, a man stopped me. At first, I thought I had met him before because I’m basically prone-blind. But then it turned out he recognized me from our YouTube channel.”Since the podcast’s first episode in October 2022, Mr. Roose and Mr. Newton...

Israelis on Sunday marked nine months since the devastating Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7 and the start of the subsequent war in Gaza with a nationwide day of anti-government protests, at a time many here see as a pivotal moment in the conflict.Mainly demanding a ceasefire deal with Hamas that would see the return of hostages from captivity and new elections in Israel, protesters blocked traffic at several major intersections in cities and on highways across the country. Much of central Tel Aviv was brought to a standstill in one of the largest protests in months.Some progress has been made in recent days in resuming negotiations for an interim agreement after weeks of stalemate, despite ongoing fighting in Gaza, where an Israeli strike on Saturday hit the area of ​​a United Nations school, a...

A hard-won provision of the Affordable Care Act allows young adults to remain on their family’s insurance until age 26. But after that, those without employer-based insurance face a series of complicated choices, including whether to shop around on insurance exchanges, apply for Medicaid, or take their chances and go uninsured.Are you a young adult confused about how to navigate the exchanges used to choose plans? Did you buy a plan on an ACA exchange and find out it didn't cover care? Did you get married or take a job just to get insurance? Did you decide you didn't want coverage?Whatever your story, my team of reporters and I want to hear it. I am a longtime health journalist who has worked at both The New York Times and KFF Health News, an independent news organization that cove...

French voters turned out en masse Sunday for the final round of early legislative elections. The results could force President Emmanuel Macron to govern alongside far-right opponents or usher in chronic political instability weeks before the Paris Summer Olympics.Turnout at 5 p.m. local time was the highest in more than two decades, at about 59.71 percent, the Interior Ministry said. It was much higher than in the previous legislative election in 2022, when turnout at the same time was less than 38.11 percent, reflecting lingering interest in a vote that will determine the future of Mr Macron's second term.Last month, Mr Macron called elections for the 577-seat National Assembly, the lower and upper house of the French parliament, in a risky gamble that appeared largely unsuccessful af...

Listen and follow 'Hard Fork'Apple | Spotify | Amazon | YouTubeWe’re on the cusp of the Fourth of July, but what better tribute to America than a conversation about the technology that lets us binge-watch TV from the couch? This week, we’re featuring a favorite episode of the recently launched New York Times podcast The Interview. Lulu Garcia-Navarro interviews Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos about his early days at a video store, laundry-folding programs, and the future of the entertainment industry.Credits“Hard Fork” is hosted by Kevin Roose AND The Newton Case and produced by My life is nice AND Rachel CohnThe show is curated by Only Poyant. Engineering of Chris Wood with original music by Dan Powell, Elisheba Ittoop AND Marion Lozano.Special thanks to Paula Szuchman, Cat Wing Tam,...