Space travel should not be just ‘for the elites’, says new British astronaut

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Rosemary Coogan, European Space Agency’s second UK recruit, will be deployed to ISS for six months

She beat a field of more than 22,000 candidates and has a PhD in astrophysics and a background as a Royal Navy reserve, but the newly qualified British astronaut Rosemary Coogan believes that in future space travel should not be restricted to elites.

Coogan, 33, from Belfast, who is the European Space Agency’s (Esa) second British recruit, believes we are entering a revolutionary period of space exploration that will lead not only to the return of humans to the moon but also journeys to Mars and beyond.

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Tech firm Palantir spoke with MoJ about calculating prisoners’ ‘reoffending risks’

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Exclusive: Rights group expresses concerns as it emerges US spy tech company has been lobbying UK ministers

The US spy tech company Palantir has been in talks with the Ministry of Justice about using its technology to calculate prisoners’ “reoffending risks”, it has emerged.

The proposals emerged in correspondence released under the Freedom of Information Act which showed how the company has also been lobbying new UK government ministers, including the chancellor, Rachel Reeves.

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Israel destroyed equipment Iran would need to develop nuclear weapon, officials say – Axios

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  1. Israel destroyed equipment Iran would need to develop nuclear weapon, officials say  Axios
  2. Scoop: Israel destroyed active nuclear weapons research facility in Iran, officials say  Axios
  3. Israel's October Airstrike Destroyed Top Secret Nuke Lab In Iran: Report  NDTV
  4. Israeli strike on Iran's Parchin facility disrupts key nuclear bomb development capabilities  The Jerusalem Post
  5. Israel ‘destroyed’ top secret Iranian nuclear weapons research facility  The Telegraph
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Ten newborn babies die after fire breaks out at Indian hospital

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Another 16 infants were in critical condition after the blaze at a neonatal unit in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh

Ten newborn babies have died after a fire broke out at the neonatal unit of a hospital in northern India, with another 16 clinging to life.

The fire broke out late on Friday at the Maharani Lakshmibai Medical College in Jhansi, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, 450km (280 miles) south of Delhi.

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More than 650,000 people flee as Super Typhoon Man-yi hits Philippines

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Authorities warn of ‘life-threatening’ surges as sixth storm to pound the country in the past month intensified

Super Typhoon Man-yi has slammed into the Philippines, with the national weather forecaster warning of a “potentially catastrophic and life-threatening” impact as huge waves pounded the archipelago’s coastline.

More than 650,000 people fled their homes before Man-yi, which is the sixth major storm to batter the disaster-weary country in the past month, made landfall.

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Operation False Target: How Russia plotted to mix a deadly new weapon among decoy drones in Ukraine – Yahoo! Voices

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  1. Operation False Target: How Russia plotted to mix a deadly new weapon among decoy drones in Ukraine  Yahoo! Voices
  2. Russia's new war tactic: hiding deadly drones in swarms of decoys  Euronews
  3. Russia Blasts Ukrainian Cities With Thermobaric Drones  Forbes
  4. Ukraine war latest: Russian plan to deploy new deadly drone revealed; Moscow 'sole obstacle' to peace, say G7 leaders  Sky News
  5. Combatting Russia’s Shahed Blitz and What Trump’s Administration Should Do  Kyiv Post
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North Korea Blasts Unbearable Sounds To South Korea – The New York Times

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  1. North Korea Blasts Unbearable Sounds To South Korea  The New York Times
  2. North Korean GPS manipulation disrupted dozens of planes and vessels, South Korea says  The Associated Press
  3. North Korean Non-kinetic Attacks: A Problem for Incheon Airport  38 North
  4. North Korea accused of GPS jamming attacks on South Korean ships and aircraft  The Guardian
  5. South Korea accuses North of disrupting plane, vessel GPS signals  The Hill
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Tesco’s £25 champagne beats Moët & Chandon in festive taste test

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Supermarket fizz bursts the prestigious French label’s bubble in blind tastings by consumer group Which?

Champagne at prosecco prices? Every little helps. Tesco’s Finest champagne has triumphed over the prestigious French label Moët & Chandon in a festive quaff test.

The Tesco Finest premier cru brut champagne received the top score of 82% in a blind taste test conducted by the consumer group Which?. The £25-a-bottle bubbly was hailed by judges for its “nutty aroma and fresh, fruity flavours”. The supermarket fizz beat Moët & Chandon, which scored 77% and at £44 is almost twice as expensive.

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Call for investigation into far-right EU politicians’ flights to Trump gala

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Transparency International writes to EU requesting inquiry into potential failure to declare travel and ticket expenses

An NGO has called for an investigation into five far-right members of the European parliament, warning of a potential failure to declare expenses for a trip to attend a gala dinner in New York headlined by Donald Trump.

Transparency International’s EU office has written to the parliament’s watchdog on MEP conduct requesting an inquiry into five politicians over a potential failure to declare travel and tickets to the black-tie gala hosted by the New York Young Republican Club (NYYRC) in December 2023.

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Bushfire evacuations in Victoria’s west as conditions prompt catastrophic danger warnings

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Gellibrand, Dereel and Kadnook residents told to leave as total fire bans declared across parts of South Australia and Victoria

Several communities in Victoria’s west have been urged to evacuate as firefighters work to control a number of bushfires.

A short-lived heatwave has brought hot, dry and windy conditions to much of southern Australia, with total fire bans in place and some areas experiencing catastrophic fire danger.

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Melbourne warehouse fire leads to evacuation of 150 nearby residents in middle of night

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Victoria police believe building on Spencer Street was empty at the time of the blaze

Police are investigating a warehouse fire in West Melbourne which led to 150 people being evacuated from an apartment complex in the middle of the night.

Fire Rescue Victoria found the warehouse “fully involved with fire” after being called to the incident on Spencer Street early on Saturday.

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California man jailed for life over hate-crime murder of teenage ex-classmate

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Samuel Woodward, 27, sentenced to life without parole over stabbing of Blaze Bernstein, who was gay and Jewish

A California man convicted of stabbing to death a gay University of Pennsylvania student in an act of hate was sentenced Friday to life without parole in prison.

Samuel Woodward, 27, was sentenced in a southern California courtroom at the end of an all-day hearing for the murder of Blaze Bernstein nearly seven years ago.

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Dutch coalition government survives despite minister resignation over Amsterdam violence

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Prime minister Dick Schoof said party leaders decided to work together after five-hour crisis meeting

The Dutch prime minister Dick Schoof’s rightwing government averted a crisis on Friday when a junior minister resigned over alleged racist comments by cabinet colleagues, but the coalition government will remain in place.

The deputy finance minister, Nora Achahbar, handed in her resignation late on Friday as the Netherlands grapples with the political fallout of last week’s attacks on Israeli football fans.

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Bomb threats targeted Oregon election offices days after election day

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Local clerks say they received threatening emails last week, amid a series of hostile election-related incidents

The FBI confirmed it is “aware” of bomb threats that targeted election offices in several Oregon counties. Local clerks in Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson reported receiving threatening emails last week, just days after election day.

The FBI said that none of the threats were deemed credible.

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Argentina orders arrests of alleged Brazil rioters – BBC.com

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  1. Argentina orders arrests of alleged Brazil rioters  BBC.com
  2. Argentina seeks arrests of 61 rightwing rioters from Brazil  The Guardian
  3. Argentina Orders Rioters Arrested Ahead of Milei’s Visit to Brazil  Bloomberg
  4. Argentina orders arrest of Brazilian Bolsonaro supporters over 2023 coup bid  FRANCE 24 English
  5. Argentina seeks arrests of 61 right-wing rioters from Brazil  Reuters
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