‘Are these chemicals in my blood?’: How one community learned the truth about Pfas pollution
The Guardian •

‘Are these chemicals in my blood?’: How one community learned the truth about Pfas pollution

People living next to a chemicals plant near Blackpool were tested for ‘forever chemicals’; last week they received the alarming resultsLast February, I got a call from a woman called Sam Hammond. We had been speaking on and off for a while over her growing concern that her garden could be affected by pollution from a nearby chemical plant.That morning, Sam had been hand-delivered a letter from he...

SpaceX’s Starship reaches orbit for first time but flight cut short
SCMP •

SpaceX’s Starship reaches orbit for first time but flight cut short

SpaceX launched its enormous Starship into orbit for the first time on Monday and successfully delivered the most advanced Starlink satellites yet, but cut the flight short to ensure safety. The spacecraft re-entered over the Pacific and splashed down north of Hawaii three hours after blasting off from Texas. The company had been aiming for a 10-hour flight, spanning six full laps around Earth, to...

SpaceX’s supersized Starship launches into orbit for first time but flight ends early
SCMP •

SpaceX’s supersized Starship launches into orbit for first time but flight ends early

SpaceX launched its enormous Starship into orbit for the first time on Monday and successfully delivered the most advanced Starlink satellites yet but cut the flight short to ensure safety. The spacecraft re-entered over the Pacific and splashed down north of Hawaii three hours after blasting off from Texas. The company had been aiming for a 10-hour flight, spanning six full laps around Earth, to ...

SpaceX’s Starship rocket reaches orbit for first time
SCMP •

SpaceX’s Starship rocket reaches orbit for first time

SpaceX’s massive Starship rocket reached orbit for the first time on Monday morning, achieving a milestone for the programme after the mission briefly looked at risk because an engine failed during ascent. Starship took off at 7.49am local time out of SpaceX’s Starbase launch facility in South Texas, embarking on what could be a nearly 10-hour long test flight. The uncrewed 40-story-tall rocket wa...

Hero’s burial for late Hong Kong constable paralysed for 21 years after attack

Hero’s burial for late Hong Kong constable paralysed for 21 years after attack

SCMP •

A former police constable who spent 21 years paralysed after an attack on duty will be buried in Hong Kong’s official cemetery for public servants lauded as heroes, the South China Morning Post has learned. A source said that Jacky Chu Chun-kwok, who died earlier this month, would be buried in Gallant Garden on October 23 after a police service funeral. Chu, a constable in the Police Tactical Unit...

RAF Fairford live updates: Five men arrested near base to be released on bail, police say

RAF Fairford live updates: Five men arrested near base to be released on bail, police say

The Guardian •

The counter terror police say the investigation has led to multiple lines of new enquiryUK security forces aware of suspected bomb plot, hints defence secretaryRAF Fairford suspected bomb plot: have you been affected?Speaking at the Labour party conference in Liverpool, the defence secretary, Wes Streeting, said he could not give further details about the RAF Fairford incident because there is a l...

French far right's Jordan Bardella denies media report he made anti-Semitic comments

French far right's Jordan Bardella denies media report he made anti-Semitic comments

France 24 •

Jordan Bardella, the head of Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN) party, has denied allegations made by French investigative website Mediapart that he wrote anti-Semitic comments on private chats in 2013, when he was aged 17 or 18. Bardella, seen as a likely prime minister if Le Pen wins next year's presidential election, said he would take legal action over the claims.

French far right's Jordan Bardella denies alleged 2013 anti-Semitic comments

French far right's Jordan Bardella denies alleged 2013 anti-Semitic comments

France 24 •

Jordan Bardella, the head of Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN) party, has denied allegations made by French investigative website Mediapart that he wrote anti-Semitic comments on private chats in 2013, when he was aged 17 or 18. Bardella, seen as a likely prime minister if Le Pen wins next year's presidential election, said he would take legal action over the claims.

‘Starship is in orbit’: cheers go up as huge SpaceX rocket circles Earth for first time

‘Starship is in orbit’: cheers go up as huge SpaceX rocket circles Earth for first time

The Guardian •

Mission goes ahead despite some fears an initial engine failure after the Texas launch would scupper the attemptSpaceX has sent its enormous Starship rocket into Earth’s orbit for the first time on a milestone flight intended to pave the way for future missions to the moon and Mars.The rocket, the largest and most powerful ever built, blasted off from SpaceX’s Starbase launch facility in Texas at ...

'Fascinating success': Pope Leo’s appeal in France transcends faith and politics

'Fascinating success': Pope Leo’s appeal in France transcends faith and politics

France 24 •

Annette Young is pleased to welcome Victor GAETAN, Senior International Correspondent for the National Catholic Register. He sees Pope Leo XIV's visit to France as more than a successful pastoral journey. He says it offers a window into the intellectual and political character of Leo's nascent papacy. What has been particularly striking is the breadth of his appeal: Leo has been welcomed by people...

North Carolina used dredged material to rebuild an eroding bird island near Wanchese

North Carolina used dredged material to rebuild an eroding bird island near Wanchese

Times of India •

North Carolina restored eroding Wells Island near Wanchese by using dredged material removed from a navigation channel instead of sending it offshore. The project created open, sandy nesting habitat for waterbirds. A week after the work ended, wildlife officials found American Oystercatchers and terns exploring the newly restored island.

VW, Gotion ramp up battery production in Europe, Morocco amid rising EV demand

VW, Gotion ramp up battery production in Europe, Morocco amid rising EV demand

SCMP •

Volkswagen Group and its Chinese partner Gotion High-tech have stepped up a gear in tapping global demand for electric vehicle (EV) batteries with plans to invest a combined €3.22 billion (US$3.66 billion) to set up three production lines in Europe and North Africa. The factories, to be jointly owned by the German marque and China’s fourth-largest EV battery maker, would be capable of delivering 3...

Aldi to invest £900m in UK and open 40 more stores next year

Aldi to invest £900m in UK and open 40 more stores next year

The Guardian •

Supermarket chain declares ‘increasing confidence’ in its growth plans after posting record annual revenue of £19bnBusiness live – latest updatesAldi says it is stepping up investment in the UK with plans to spend £900m and open more than 40 stores.The company, which operates 1,092 budget supermarkets in the UK and Ireland, revealed sales rose 5% to a record £19bn last year. It opened 40 stores bu...

A Green pope? Vatican describes environmental destruction as an 'ecological sin'

A Green pope? Vatican describes environmental destruction as an 'ecological sin'

France 24 •

In recent years, the Catholic Church has taken a growing stance in favour of climate action, culminating with the Vatican's signing of the landmark Paris climate agreement in 2022. As Pope Leo wraps up his four-day visit to France, FRANCE 24's Valerie Dekimpe looks at where religion and the environment meet. 

French Senate elections: What next after far right surge?

French Senate elections: What next after far right surge?

France 24 •

The far-right party of Marine Le Pen will for the first time in its history be able to form a parliamentary group in the French upper house, election results showed Monday, a political breakthrough just over half a year before presidential polls. France 24's Marc Perelman takes a look at how much of a boost the result might be to Le Pen's National Rally.

Congo politician beaten to death after urging Ebola prevention on radio, his party says

Congo politician beaten to death after urging Ebola prevention on radio, his party says

SCMP •

A senior member of Congo’s ruling party was ⁠beaten to ⁠death after taking part ⁠in a radio programme to raise awareness about the Ebola outbreak, a party representative said on Monday. The incident happened on Sunday in Butembo, North Kivu province, which has recently ‌become a hotspot in the ongoing Ebola outbreak. Marie-Celestin Karondwa, acting president of the UDPS party’s federal executive c...

Farmer who alerted police to RAF Fairford suspected bomb plot says there was ‘no follow-up’

Farmer who alerted police to RAF Fairford suspected bomb plot says there was ‘no follow-up’

The Guardian •

Woman who spotted suspicious vans and masked men says authorities did not contact her after five men were arrestedA farmer who claims to have alerted the police to a suspected terrorist bomb plot at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire has said she has had “no follow-up at all” from the authorities.The woman told reporters on Monday that she did not see herself as a hero for having reported vans blocki...

Heavy rain and flooding kills dozens northern India

Heavy rain and flooding kills dozens northern India

France 24 •

The death toll from floods triggered by heavy rain in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh rose to 81, the government's disaster agency said. Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state with more than 240 million people, is frequently lashed by rain and thunderstorms during the monsoon rainy season from June to September.

Foie gras, live dolphins and toasters: China and US cut reciprocal tariffs on $30bn each of goods

Foie gras, live dolphins and toasters: China and US cut reciprocal tariffs on $30bn each of goods

The Guardian •

World’s biggest economies release lists of products in latest move away from trade war – but no strategic goods are includedThe US and China have released reciprocal lists of goods worth about $30bn each on which they plan to cut tariffs, ranging from consumer electronics and agricultural products to artificial flowers and live dolphins.The announcements are the latest tack away from the intense t...

Foie gras, live dolphins and toasters: China and US cut reciprocal tariffs on $30bn of goods

Foie gras, live dolphins and toasters: China and US cut reciprocal tariffs on $30bn of goods

The Guardian •

World’s biggest economies release lists of products in latest move away from trade war – but no strategic goods are includedThe US and China have released reciprocal lists of goods worth about $30bn each on which they plan to cut tariffs, ranging from consumer electronics and agricultural products, to artificial flowers and live dolphins.The announcements are the latest tack away from the intense ...

China targets AI and frontier tech in newly unveiled innovation blueprint

China targets AI and frontier tech in newly unveiled innovation blueprint

SCMP •

China’s top state research body has put artificial intelligence and other frontier technologies at the heart of its new five-year plan, unveiled on Monday, as global competition in science and technology heats up. The Chinese Academy of Sciences, China’s highest academic institution, laid out a detailed blueprint for research and technology development aligned with the country’s 15th five-year pla...