USA - In many parts of the world, including Africa, people rely on rainwater as a source of drinking water, as well as for other household and livelihood uses. One of the reasons is water scarcity – sub-Saharan Africa has the largest number of water-scarce countries in the world. But there are concerns about how safe rainwater is to drink. It can be contaminated by dust and ash in the surroundings or by heavy metal from roofing material. Another concern is the presence of manufactured chemicals called perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or “forever chemicals”. As environmental scientist Ian Cousins and his team explain, they are a threat to the use of rainwater for domestic purposes.

UK - Millions of families are just 19 days away from being unable to afford basic essentials, a study has revealed. Spiralling energy, food and fuel bills mean households are being forced to raid their savings to cover must-pay bills. However, such is the cost of living squeeze that this savings safety net will typically fail after 19 days if families were to lose their income. The figures come from the latest Deadline to Breadline report from Legal & General, which found that average UK households’ financial resilience has shrunk by 21 per cent since 2020 – down from 24 days to 19. It found people generally overestimate by nearly six weeks how long they could fund basic living costs if they lost their income. Researchers found two million adults generally have no money left at the end of each month, up by 330,000 in two years.

ISRAEL - Chief Rabbi: Show sovereignty without visiting Temple Mount. Opposing pilgrimage to Har Habayit, Chief Rabbi David Lau says the sanctity of the site must be preserved. [The present Sephardi Chief Rabbi is Yitzhak Yosef, and the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi is David Lau, both of whom began their terms in 2013. The Rabbinate has jurisdiction over many aspects of Jewish life in Israel]. At today’s (Tuesday) meeting of the Chief Rabbinate Council of Israel, the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi David Lau, spoke out harshly against the phenomenon of Jews ascending the Temple Mount. On the occasion of the anniversary of the death of Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak HaCohen Kook, founder of the Chief Rabbinate, Rabbi Lau opened the meeting by stating Rabbi Kook’s opposition to Jewish ascent to the Temple Mount. "We need to be careful and not get into the questions and issues of karath [denial of a share in the world to come]," said Rabbi Lau. "There are other ways to show sovereignty [than by going up to Har Habayit]. We need to preserve the sanctity of the place."

USA - The Tesla tycoon addressed his more than 100 million Twitter followers to issue a terrifying warning about the end of civilisation, comparing mankind to the dinosaurs. Sharing a link to a BBC article about the death of the dinosaurs, Musk tweeted: "This will happen again – just a matter of time", seemingly referring to civilisation's potential impending doom. Musk's many fans chimed in, with one saying: "Already happening". Another speculated: "Well in the past 10% of the Earth's past we know there have been 5 major mass extinctions. So every one every 50-100M years. And it's been awfully quiet these past 65M years... Just say in... living on two planets sounds pretty good right about now". Musk made headlines for similar theories last week after he claimed that global warming wasn't the biggest threat our species faced. He similarly warned the Internet that "population collapse due to low birth rates is a much bigger risk to civilization than global warming" - attracting both praise and criticism for the claim.

USA - The global dairy industry is changing. Among the disruptions is competition from food alternatives not produced using animals – including potential challenges posed by synthetic milk. Synthetic milk does not require cows or other animals. It can have the same biochemical make up as animal milk, but is grown using an emerging biotechnology technique known as “precision fermentation” that produces biomass cultured from cells. More than 80% of the world’s population regularly consume dairy products. There have been increasing calls to move beyond animal-based food systems to more sustainable forms of food production. Synthetic milks offer dairy milk without concerns such as methane emissions or animal welfare. But it must overcome many challenges and pitfalls to become a fair, sustainable and viable alternative to animal-based milk.

SOUTH KOREA - Want Fries with That? Scientists Say Eating Worms Will Save the Planet. Eating worms could help humanity survive in a future world starved of food and nutrition, South Korean scientists outlined in a study published Wednesday, although they conceded the small, slimy invertebrates suffer something of an “image problem.” The researchers have cooked mealworms, or beetle larvae, along with sugar to create “meat” — and they claim it tastes authentic as an acceptable alternative nutrition source. “Recently, eating insects has become of interest because of the increasing cost of animal protein, as well as the associated environmental issues,” In Hee Cho, PhD, the project’s principal investigator, said on announcing the findings. The global population is expected to reach 9.7 billion people by 2050 and nearly 11 billion by 2100, according to the United Nations, and that has driven the study to find more ways to feed more people outside traditional farming methods.

USA - The Satanic Temple (TST) is planning on hosting an “After School Satan Club” back-to-school event at a Pennsylvania high school next month. On Tuesday, Officials from Northern York County School District approved the event to be hosted at Northern High School in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, Fox 43 reported. Parents and residents expressed their staunch opposition to the organization hosting an event in the community back in April. “They already took God out of schools now they’re going to let Satan in, it’s just crazy,” said Perry County Resident Jennifer McAllister back in April, according to Fox 34. “There is a lot of evil already in this world, so to allow it to come into our school and our community is not OK,” another parent, Laura Vangeli, said at the time via WHP. A spokesman from the temple said the event should be viewed similarly to religious freedom law. “We’re talking about upholding fundamental pillars of democracy and the First Amendment,” said Lucien Graves, a co-founder of TST.

USA - Masked Antifa members armed with AR-15 rifles and handguns showed up to guard what was billed as a “kid-friendly” drag show at a North Texas distillery. Reports indicate the show contained partial nudity and sexualized minors. BlazeTV producer Kris Cruz tweeted photos of a group of mask-wearing Antifa members standing guard with AR-15 rifles at a “kid-friendly” drag show in Roanoke, Texas. Cruz reported at least nine of the members carrying AR-15s. Cruz and BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales tweeted photos showing alleged Antifa members posted in sniper positions near the event’s location. The Anderson Distillery and Grill hosted a “Barrel Babes Drag Brunch” on Sunday afternoon, according to their Facebook post. Sara Gonzales and journalist Tayler Hansen tweeted a video from the event showing the drag show taking place in the presence of more than 20 very young children.

UK - Britain's Royal Navy suffered a major setback after the HMS Prince of Wales broke down just one day after leaving Portsmouth to set sail for the US. The 65,000-tonne warship was on its way to begin a four-month deployment to America. The vessel and its crew are scheduled to take part in training drills with the US military and the Royal Canadian Navy in a programme with F-35B jets and unscrewed systems. However, the £3 billion vessel suffered an "emerging mechanical issue" near the Isle of Wight, according to a Royal Navy spokesperson. HMS Prince of Wales had to delay its departure on Friday from Portsmouth Naval Base, Hampshire, by a day because of a technical issue. There have been reports that the current issue revolves around damage to the starboard propeller shaft. HMS Prince of Wales is Britain's largest warship and NATO's flagship carrier. It has been plagued by technical problems, which have impacted its ability to carry out its role. The warship got stranded in Portsmouth at the end of 2020 after flooding in its engine room damaged the electrics.

USA - Two American warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait early Sunday, in the first such naval exercise since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan earlier this month, which outraged China's government. The USS Antietam and USS Chancellorsville cruisers are making a routine transit through the Strait, which usually takes about 12 hours, according to a statement from the Navy's 7th Fleet, which is headquartered in Japan. “The ship’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The United States military flies, sails and operates anywhere international law allows,” the statement said. Pelosi's trip to Taiwan earlier this month angered Beijing, which considers the island to be a breakaway Chinese territory and has not ruled out using military force to bring it under its control.

EUROPE - The economic powerhouses of the European Union, France and Germany, both set records on Friday for electricity prices, as the West’s sanctions war with Russia continue to bite. This time last year the cost of electricity per megawatt-hour (MWh) in both France and Germany sat at around 85 euros. On Friday, both countries set record highs, with the cost climbing by at least 1,000 per cent from last year to €850 in Germany and over €1,000 in France, Le Monde reports. The Russian economy has seemingly weathered the sanctions far better than expected. The energy crisis is showing no sign of abating, with futures traders already trading French energy prices at a staggering 1,600 euros per megawatt-hour for December. Warnings have emerged from the two leading economic engines of the European Union that widespread unrest will result from the rising cost of energy.

ISRAEL - Israel’s right-wing Jewish voter base has grown from 46 percent before the April 2019 election to 62% now, ahead of November’s vote, according to an analysis of self-reported political affiliation by the Israel Democracy Institute. The growth has been mostly at the expense of the political center, although the left has also taken a dip. Despite having a growing right-wing ideological majority among Jewish citizens, Israeli politics have yet to stabilize around a solid four-year government. The right-religious bloc led by former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is polling most strongly, but the November 1 Knesset race is still predicted to end up indecisive.

USA - Scientists at Michigan State University say they have found a way to recycle wind turbine blades into gummy bears, nappies, and other everyday items. The fibreglass blades of a wind turbine have proved difficult to repurpose, with many ending up in landfill at the end of their life cycle, leading to concerted efforts to find ways to recycle them. But Michigan State scientists say they have created a new kind of turbine resin which can be continuously recast into new blades, or other materials including plastic, car taillights, kitchen countertops, and even nappies and candy. Researchers developed a type of composite thermoplastic resin which can be dissolved at the end of its use cycle and “used over and over again in an infinite loop”, according to John Dorgan, PhD, a researcher at Michigan State University. The research may help address the stubborn wastage problem of a renewables-based economy, amid global projections that 40 million tonnes of wind blade waste could end up in landfill by the middle of the century. “The beauty of our resin system is that at the end of its use cycle, we can dissolve it, and that releases it from whatever matrix it’s in so that it can be used over and over again,” says Dorgan.

PAKISTAN - Pakistan's foreign minister said the calamitous floods gripping the country are 'a catastrophe on a scale that I have never seen' as the death toll soared above 1,000 and an area the size of Britain faced going underwater. Tens of millions of Pakistanis have been forced to flee their homes as entire villages have vanished, with dramatic footage capturing hotel collapses, helicopter rescues and narrow escapes. Foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said this morning from his home in flood-ravaged province Sindh, south-eastern Pakistan: 'Around me is just water, water and more water. There's not much dry land to be found. We've suffered a devastating monsoon [with] floods from the sky that have been going on since the end of June. It is a catastrophe on a scale that I have never seen before', he told the BBC. He added: 'We've experienced floods and monsoons before but this has really engulfed us all.'

USA - A wildfire burning in southwest Oregon has grown to 8,404 acres, according to a Sunday update by fire officials, nearly double the acreage the blaze had consumed a day prior. Approximately 740 personnel are now battling the Rum Creek fire after officials from the Northwest 13 Incident Management Team assumed command of the response Sunday morning along with two state agencies from the Oregon State Fire Marshal and the Oregon Department of Forestry. The blaze has led to at least one death: Logan Taylor, a 25-year-old wildland firefighter, died last week after being struck by a tree while battling the fire, officials said.