Launch

• The United States launched a V-2 rocket carrying a monkey named Albert III on September 16, 1949. • The rocket exploded during the flight, resulting in the death of the animal passenger. • This test was part of a series of missions designed to determine how spaceflight affects the human body.

Doorbell firm aims to replace WhatsApp or Facebook groups with platform where people can post about safety or lost petsAmazon’s doorbell camera maker Ring is to launch its Neighbours community app in the UK in an attempt to supplant neighbourhood WhatsApp or Facebook groups.The service is intended as a modern equivalent of a community message board, where neighbours can post about safety, community matters or lost pets. Continue reading...

• Antler released a report titled A Tale of Two Tiers analyzing 760 European unicorn founders and 81,055 funding rounds since 2000. • Recent funding activity includes Oxbotica raising $140 million in a Series C round and Protexxa closing a $10 million Series A round. • These investments show that specific sectors like autonomous vehicle software and cybersecurity can still secure high-value capital despite a challenging fundraising environment.

Centre-left bloc led by Social Democrats has narrow lead with 95% of vote counted, but faces internal policy battleSweden’s political parties have launched coalition negotiations as the Social Democrats leader, Magdalena Andersson, started the long and difficult process of trying to form a new government.Full results from Sunday’s election are not expected until after overseas votes are counted on Wednesday, but with 95% of the votes counted, the Social Democrats and the centre-left bloc had a narrow but growing lead of 176 seats to the right-leaning parties’ 173. Continue reading...

Big manufacturers planning to produce more of the forever chemicals to meet demand from datacentresPfas companies are launching a “tidal wave” of forever chemicals production to meet demand from the AI industry, a campaign organisation has warned.Despite alarm over the chemicals, which have been linked to cancer, a survey of the 10 biggest manufacturers found most had plans to increase production. Continue reading...

‘Red lines’ legislation would forbid defence equipment technology or services being used, includes parts for F-35 fighter jetsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCrossbench MPs including David Pocock and Sophie Scamps will put pressure on the Albanese government to ban Australian goods from being used by the Israeli military – including for F-35 fighter jets – by introducing a bill designed to force it to adhere to international obligations.The group’s “red lines” legislation, to be presented on Monday, would outlaw defence equipment, technology or services being used where they could breach Australia’s international human rights obligations. Continue reading...

• The US Navy launched its first V-2 rocket from a ship at sea on September 6, 1947, as part of a ballistic missile test. • Although the specific test was unsuccessful, it proved that Navy ships could serve as floating launch pads for ballistic missiles. • This milestone demonstrated the feasibility of deploying long-range missiles from maritime platforms to expand military reach.

• Fintech companies launched several new products at the Global Fintech Fest 2026, including Android ATMs and AI assistants for merchants. • The new Tap to Pay feature allows Android users to tokenize Visa cards for phone payments starting September 9. • Cross Border Scan to Pay enables users to make payments via Visa QR codes across 14 markets, including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Thailand.

Her Horizon Fund seeks $100m to stop practice harming 230m women and girls globally Frontline activists and leaders in the fight against female genital mutilation, which has affected more than 230 million women and girls worldwide, have welcomed an unprecedented $15.5m (£11.4m) fund aimed at creating “unstoppable momentum” to finally end the practice.The launch of the fund comes as women’s rights are increasingly under attack and donor funding is in sharp decline, particularly for work led by FGM survivors in local communities. It is thought to be the largest single philanthropic contribution to ending the practice of FGM. Continue reading...

• Roundhill launched the CCML fund to give U.S. investors targeted access to the supply chain of Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitors, or MLCCs. • These tiny components ship in the trillions annually and are produced almost exclusively by Asian manufacturers. • Investors in this fund face concentration risk within the information technology sector and potential losses if tariffs or trade restrictions reduce international trade.

Scotland Yard confirms it is investigating allegations broadcast by Channel 4 after undercover stingUK politics live – latest updatesThe Met police will investigate allegations that Reform UK broke electoral law relating to overseas donations as part of a wider inquiry.The force confirmed it was investigating after the allegations were broadcast by Channel 4 following an undercover sting by reporters from Verbatim, in which they posed as a foreign donor seeking to fund Reform. Continue reading...

Podcast will be on YouTube site of Mike Graham, fired from TalkTV after racist post appeared on his Facebook pageWhen Liz Truss launched her podcast last year, she declared it would bring a “counter-revolution” to take on the “deep state”, which, she said, “tried to destroy” her.The revolution, however, has not yet arrived. Truss, whose stint as UK prime minister abruptly ended after her disastrous mini-budget crashed the economy, has so far failed to find a wide audience with her media career. Continue reading...

• German company Isar Aerospace successfully launched a privately-developed rocket into low-Earth orbit this past Saturday from a spaceport in northern Norway. • The company was founded in 2018 by three university students and developed the Spectrum rocket to reach orbit within a few years. • This achievement marks the first time a fully commercial orbital rocket has been launched by a European company.

The ‘hip boost’ aims to create hourglass silhouette, much like Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand’s padded shortsFor decades shapewear has been used to compress and cinch. But now there is a sub-genre emerging. Rather than shrinking a silhouette, it aims to add inches.This week M&S launched a bodysuit that features exaggerated padding at the hip allowing the wearer to create an hourglass shape, or at least the illusion of one. Continue reading...

• The British Polling Council and Market Research Society launched investigations into JL Partners following allegations that the firm broke transparency rules. • The inquiries follow recordings of Reform UK's head of policy, James Orr, and another individual apparently plotting to bypass electoral laws. • These probes threaten the professional standing of JL Partners and could lead to sanctions for violating industry standards on transparency.

• NASA is preparing to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope to survey a billion galaxies and trace the evolution of the universe. • The project utilizes decades of research into detector technology and contributions from the United States spy program. • Astronomers will use the resulting data to attempt to answer some of the most puzzling questions in the field of space science.

• Indian streaming service JioHotstar launched in the U.K., Canada, and Singapore to provide international audiences with Indian entertainment. • The service introduced new subscription tiers and interactive features to engage viewers across different languages and generations. • This expansion allows South Asian expats and global viewers to access Indian stories and cultural content more easily.

British Polling Council and Market Research Society announce inquiries into JL Partners, which has been accused of breaking transparency rulesWhat is the latest finance scandal facing Reform UK?A polling firm at the centre of allegations that Reform UK breached electoral law is being investigated by two industry bodies.JL Partners, which is run by former Conservative aides, has been accused of breaking transparency rules by failing to declare that three separate polls had been commissioned by the party. Continue reading...

• The European Payments Initiative has launched Wero, a new payment app replacing Payconiq to facilitate cross-border transactions across Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. • The app saw more than 34,000 downloads at launch in Luxembourg. • The service streamlines digital payments for users and businesses operating across five major European markets by providing a unified regional alternative.

• OpenAI has launched GPT-6 Astra, its largest frontier model to date, featuring state-of-the-art capabilities for coding and computer use. • The new model is 2.5x more expensive per token, though it is reported to be significantly cheaper per completed task. • Professionals may see higher efficiency in complex workflows due to reduced costs per task, despite the model being less monitorable.

Two key aides to Nigel Farage have stepped down pending an internal investigationEd Davey, the Lib Dem leader, says Nigel Farage was ultimately responsible for the apparent attempt to evade electoral law on donations exposed by the undercover investigation shown on Channel 4 News.In a post on social media this morning, he says:So much for this being a “hoax” then.Clearly very serious questions for Farage to answer given his role in the meeting. Continue reading...

• The Sui Foundation has launched a $10 million ecosystem fund specifically targeting developers building decentralized AI infrastructure and DeFi-native protocols. • The initiative aims to attract more builders to the Sui ecosystem by leveraging its high-throughput blockchain and Move-based programming language. • This strategic move highlights Sui's intent to compete in the rapidly growing intersection of artificial intelligence and decentralized finance.

Department store chain’s Gift List ‘vodcast’ will be hosted by TV presenter Angela ScanlonBusiness live – latest updatesJohn Lewis is launching an online chatshow and social media studio to help make itself and its products more visible to chatbots and more prominent in AI search results.The department store chain’s Gift List “vodcast” hosted by the TV presenter Angela Scanlon will air on YouTube with clips disseminated via other social media channels and comes after the success of its sister chain Waitrose’s Dish podcast. Continue reading...

• NASA has launched the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope into space to conduct advanced astronomical research. • The mission focuses on probing the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy, discovering new exoplanets, and studying stars. • This telescope is critical for expanding our understanding of the universe's expansion and the composition of distant galactic systems.

Landmark lawsuit claims tech company’s pay-setting system has breached privacy laws and pushed down earningsUber drivers have launched a landmark legal action against the ride-hailing company claiming they live in “constant fear” of a “soulless” algorithm it uses to set pay and allocate jobs.Drivers from the UK, the Netherlands and other countries have joined the compensation claim that could run into billions of dollars. It alleges an AI-powered pay-setting system breaches data protection laws and pushes down their earnings. Continue reading...

Fully electric SUV unveiled after year-long delay and will be built at Jaguar Land Rover’s plant in SolihullRange Rover has launched its first electric vehicle – a year later than planned – offering a greener option for fans of gargantuan British-made SUVs who are also conscious about the climate crisis.Due to be built in Solihull, the home of the marque since 1970, the vehicle comes with an eye-watering price tag, starting at £154,070. Continue reading...

• CrowdStrike has launched SafeMind, an agentic security system utilizing two purpose-built AI models: the adversarial Red Tempest and the defensive Blue Solano. • The system employs a red-team/blue-team feedback loop trained on 15 years of breach data and trillions of daily events from the Falcon sensor telemetry. • This innovation allows enterprises to autonomously identify and block potential attack paths by leveraging digital twins of their specific IT environments.

Move from Washington quashes hopes that exchange of fire last weekend might not presage ⁠wider renewal of hostilitiesMiddle East crisis live – latest updatesThe US launched new airstrikes on Iranian targets on Tuesday, quashing hopes that an exchange of fire last ⁠weekend might not presage a ⁠wider renewal of hostilities.Oil prices had ​already risen after that first exchange of direct attacks since July and after reports of two tankers being hit leaving the strait of Hormuz, the global oil supply waterway that Iran has effectively closed to shipping. Continue reading...