SpaceX’s spectacular launch of its reusable Falcon Heavy rocket has garnered much attention as the most powerful spacecraft since the Apollo era. But, as Ian Whittaker explains, there has been less debate about the environmental impact of such a test flight (and its accompanying electric car), and the threat this may pose to future space exploration.

A man has been charged with attempting to massacre African migrants in central Italy last weekend. Paolo Novak, who has spent time in the region interviewing asylum seekers, says many now plan to stay indoors while they wait for a decision about their future. He says the attack came amid anti-immigration rhetoric that has become mainstream in Italy, just weeks before a crucial election.

This year had already seen particularly high levels of flooding in Paris. Residents looked on with increasing concern last week as the water levels crept up the banks. But the event also has positive echoes in the past – it was historical flooding of the Seine that led to one of the great breakthroughs in our understanding of river systems, as Simon Dixon explains.

And in the latest episode of our In Depth, Out Loud podcast, we bring you the story of how life expectancy steadily improved in the UK for 110 years – until now. Listen here, or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

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