Daily news, briefed by an archivist with opinions
SpaceX completed its twelfth Starship test flight on Friday (May 22) from Starbase, Texas. Despite some engine failures, the flight was deemed a success with a controlled splashdown, marking another step toward orbital capability.
NASA has finished building its next-generation space telescope. The 288-megapixel infrared observatory — designed to study dark energy, dark matter, and exoplanets — is now targeting launch as early as September 2026.
Jensen Huang confirmed that Nvidia's $200bn (~£157bn) CPU market forecast includes China, signalling long-term demand despite US export controls. The US has licensed H200 sales to ~10 Chinese firms, but zero deliveries have been made so far.
Wall Street sees a potential changing of the guard in the AI chip race — Intel and AMD shares have jumped as Nvidia's dominance faces new competition from the rise of CPUs for agentic AI workloads.
UK arable farmers are being urged to complete AHDB's annual planting and variety survey, which provides the earliest view of planted area for the upcoming harvest. Results will be published by mid-June and help shape industry intelligence.
The UK Climate Change Committee warns that food prices will soar and farming will become economically untenable unless the sector urgently adapts to climate change. The report calls for government action on land use and agricultural resilience.
Rustic countryside gothic, men's 20s/30s: Layer a black Levi's Classic Trucker Jacket over a Uniqlo flannel shirt (blackwatch or charcoal). On your feet, Dr. Martens 1460 Smooth Boots — tough, timeless, and they only get better with mud. Throw a surplus wool greatcoat over the top from Lambrino Militaria (~£62) for that oppressive, windswept-moors energy. Finish with an ASOS oversized knit in brown or black. Dark, practical, affordable — charity shops are your friend for the rest.
Andy Burnham is Labour's candidate for the 18 June Makerfield by-election. Reform UK has selected plumber Robert Kenyon. Nominations close on 26 May. If Burnham wins (not guaranteed), he'd likely challenge Starmer for the Labour leadership.
Inflation rose to 3.3% in March — the highest in nearly two years — driven by the biggest jump in fuel prices in over three years due to the Iran conflict. Rising prices are now Britons' top financial concern, per a new survey.
Strawberry & Elderflower Tiramisu — a light, spring twist on the Italian classic. Macerate strawberries with lemon and elderflower cordial, layer with mascarpone cream and sponge fingers. No coffee, no cocoa — just bright, boozy, summery goodness. Perfect for bank holiday Monday.
Barns Courtney — "Supernatural". Gritty, stomping rock with a dark, driving edge that sits somewhere between The Idles' rage and Shayfer James' theatricality. Swaggering riffs, a snarling vocal, and a chorus that demands to be shouted along to. If you don't know Barns Courtney, this is the track to fix that.
I told my doctor I'd been hearing a voice that keeps saying, "You're not good enough. You'll never amount to anything."
He said, "Don't worry, that's just self-doubt — very common."
Then the voice piped up: "No it's not. I'm real. And I've been watching you since you were nine."
Trump said a deal to end the US-Iran war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz is "largely negotiated," but later called it "50/50." Pakistan-mediated talks continue as the conflict enters its 12th week with global oil prices and inflation soaring.
A 21-year-old suspect fired shots near the White House on Saturday evening, triggering a lockdown. Secret Service returned fire, killing the gunman. A bystander was seriously injured. The suspect had prior encounters with security services.