Booker Prize-winning author Ian McEwan sits down with Olivia Salazar-Winspear to discuss the 22nd century society he created in "What We Can Know", as his latest novel is translated into French. While his characters grapple with the aftermath of the great "derangement", in a world where many of the 21st century's capital cities have been submerged, we discuss our upcoming reckoning with the climate crisis.
El riesgo cero no existe, repiten rotundos los expertos, y menos ante un desastre como el causado en la provincia de Valencia por la dana del 29 de octubre de 2024, que dejó 233 fallecidos, precipitaciones extraordinarias de más de 771 litros por metro cuadrado en apenas horas y caudales superiores a los 2.200 metros cúbicos por segundo —varias veces el caudal del río Ebro—, bajando a toda velocidad por ramblas y barrancos. El resultado fue una gran ola que se llevó todo por delante en la zona cero, un territorio densamente poblado y vulnerable por su alto riesgo de inundación. Después ha habido más danas y episodios de lluvias torrenciales y en todas ellas la población ha revivido el miedo a que una tragedia así se repita. “Queremos un futuro mejor y que los proyectos se hagan. Nos interesa estar en un horizonte seguro”, reivindica Salvador Piqueras, miembro de uno de los Comités Locales de Emergencia y Reconstrucción (CLER), creados tras la dana para dar voz a la población damnificada por la riada.
El diputado Carlos Mazón no hace vida de pasillos, no se le ve en la cafetería, no participa en los debates, no hace declaraciones, no asiste a las comisiones, ni presenta iniciativas parlamentarias. Llega al pleno de Les Corts Valencianes en su coche oficial de expresidente de la Generalitat, a menudo acompañado por el que fuera su jefe de gabinete y ahora asesor, José Manuel Cuenca; saluda, se sienta en su escaño de la última fila, saca su ordenador, se pone las gafas, aplaude a sus correligionarios del PP, charla con los diputados o consejeros que se le acercan y vota. Normalmente, se ausenta durante las intervenciones de la oposición, que, sin embargo, no dejan de mencionarlo.
María todavía no ha podido pasar página de la tragedia que fue la dana del 29 de octubre de 2024. Aún se encuentra inmersa en un proceso tan sensible que ha pedido no publicar su identidad real, por lo que este es un nombre ficticio. Dos años después de que sucediese la riada más fuerte del siglo XXI que dejó 233 muertos, esta mujer sigue luchando para que reconozcan a su madre como una víctima más de las inundaciones. Su progenitora era una de las usuarias de la residencia Savia de Paiporta, donde el agua irrumpió aquel día y dejó, según especifica el sumario de la causa, al menos seis fallecidos. La madre de María estaba también allí, pero no murió esa tarde porque fue rescatada por los trabajadores del centro. Permaneció durante horas mojada y cogió una neumonía que acabó con su vida en un hospital de Valencia cuatro días después. “Estoy con mucha ansiedad y con tratamiento psicológico porque es un proceso muy costoso y muy doloroso hasta que esto se averigüe”, explica la hija.
Detrás de los números a veces se esconden verdades desoladoras. El 1, por ejemplo, es con el que los telediarios bautizaron a José Fernández en la noche del 29 de octubre de hace dos años, mientras una dana terminaba por arrasar Valencia. El primer muerto conocido por las inundaciones, así lo definieron numéricamente. Fernández tenía 64 y aquella tarde estaba con su mujer Isabel en casa, en un cuarto piso de un edificio de Massanassa. Sobre las 18.00, bajó al garaje para sacar el coche, ante el miedo de que se inundase el trastero. Isabel, mientras, se puso a tender la ropa. Y en un momento, al asomarse a la ventana, contempló con pánico cómo una ola grande recorría la calle con coches flotando. Fue a buscar a su marido, pero se había quedado atrapado en el ascensor. Le escuchó pedir auxilio una y otra vez. “Pero ¿cómo podía ayudar? Nadie en ese momento podía ayudar. No tienes los medios. Es una situación de impotencia”, explicó entonces Isabel. Ambos desconocían la magnitud meteorológica ni tampoco recibieron una alerta en sus móviles que les advirtiera de los peligros de estar en plantas bajas o salir a la calle. El ES-Alert, de hecho, tardaría en llegar dos horas después de que Fernández bajara al garaje. A las 20.11, cuando sonó el primer mensaje masivo, 182 de las 233 víctimas mortales de la dana ya habían fallecido y la situación de decenas era insalvable.
"When you're in their bubble, you're in a different mindset than when you step out of it," Nathan Fielder told THR during a live Q&A in Savannah on Tuesday. "I'm gleaning new things from just hearing what other people are saying."
Israel’s opposition parties appeared to have secured enough Knesset seats in Tuesday’s elections to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from power and end a four-year reign marked by genocidal war in Gaza and escalating terror and dispossession against Palestinians in the West Bank. But will they? With about 86% of ballots counted as of Wednesday […]
Four very different films arrive in French cinemas this week, and arts24 critic Emma Jones has seen them all. Martin McDonagh's "Wild Horse Nine" reunites him with an A-list cast. John Malkovich, who won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at Venice, plays a dying CIA agent in 1973 Chile, alongside Sam Rockwell. Emma calls it her favourite McDonagh film since "In Bruges" and a must see.
You know who has a cool job? Jonathan Mutch, who's a helicopter pilot in Antarctica.
He lands on helipads made of ice and has to navigate rapidly changing weather conditions.
Flightseeing is included in select Antarctic itineraries, which start at a whopping $20,000 a person.
Quark Expeditions helicopter pilot Jonathan Mutch is working his fifth season in Antarctica, flying high-paying tourists to some of the planet's most remote places.
It takes a team of pilots, flight engineers, mountain guides, and expedition leaders to run the operation safely. Quark says it has strict environmental parameters to avoid affecting wildlife.
He said that because Antarctic weather can be harsh and unpredictable, guests must have realistic and flexible expectations.
"It's a lot more complicated than it looks," Mutch said. "We'll start with a study of our maps and charts and previous experience with the weather, and we'll brief over the preceding days."
Guests disembark at Snow Hill to see Emperor penguins.
Courtesy of Sam Crimmin/Quark Expeditions
Helicopter flightseeing excursions are included in all Antarctic itineraries on the Ultramarine, the luxury vessel where Quark guests live during their voyage and where the helicopters take off and land.
Mutch said Quark prioritizes getting everybody a 15-minute flightseeing trip, followed by potential landings.
Pricing for the 2026-2027 season starts at about $20,000 per person and includes flightseeing, meals, housing, and other activities. Helicopter landings are $995 extra.
Quark Expeditions' Ultramarine ship is smaller than a typical major cruise liner.
Quark Expeditions
Deep-pocketed tourists can also pay $30,000 or more per person for a more helicopter-focused tour that includes landing near an Emperor penguin colony.
Helicopter flying is different in Antarctica
Mutch said Quark has two Airbus-made H145 helicopters, which are fitted with safety technology for polar operations, such as two redundant engines and an advanced autopilot.
The helicopters are stored and maintained in hangars atop the ship. Here, guests board and disembark, the aircraft are refueled between trips, and the crew plans flights.
Mutch said both helicopters are needed to prep the landing sites before taking passengers. Pilots and engineers ensure that things like lighting and recirculating snow won't affect safety or visibility.
Jake Morrison, senior director of expedition operations, told Business Insider that a flightseeing operation requires at least 13 employees, or 20 or more for ice landings.
Jonathan Mutch.
Courtesy of Jonathan Mutch
Experienced mountain guides test the landing ice thickness and ensure the sites are safe for walking and void of crevasses.
"We won't get airborne if the experience is going to be lackluster or if there's any risk of leaving anybody out there," Mutch said. He added that Quark operates to the same standards as airlines and that the ships' crew will always track the helicopter's location.
"We'll put the aircraft into white-out conditions and test the pilots' decision-making," Mutch said, speaking about the simulator training. "We want guys who are not going to be too proud [that causes them] to push on and make mistakes."
Two helicopters are required to survey and verify safe landing sites.
Courtesy of Jonathan Mutch
There are environmental considerations
Flying carbon-emitting helicopters across Antarctica will impact the environment, but Quark said it does what it can to minimize its footprint.
Morisson said the H145 helicopters are more fuel-efficient and quieter than similar aircraft in their category.
Mutch said flightseeing tours are intended to show the landscape, so pilots will not fly within a mile of wildlife. The flight-following crew on the ship helps maintain distance.
When he performs Emperor penguin landings, Mutch said there is typically an iceberg between the birds and humans, so Quark guests are "virtually inaudible and invisible."
"The last thing we want to do is change the behavior of any wildlife or interact in any way with the wildlife down here, whether it be penguins, seals, sea birds, or whales," Mutch said. "We explain this to passengers when we board."
Business Insider's Taylor Rains visited Antarctica in 2022. A chinstrap penguin is pictured with her expedition ship, the Ocean Endeavour.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
These are necessary considerations as Antarctic conservation is a hot topic. A record-breaking number of tourists visit the continent: About 120,000 people visited during the 2025-2026 season, up from about 100,000 the year before.
As ice levels decrease, wildlife is at risk of pollutants from ships, aircraft, and humans. A September 2026 study interviewed 25 former Antarctic tour guides who said they left the industry after facing a moral conflict between their jobs and their concerns about environmental and wildlife harm.
The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, an Antarctic advocacy group, responded, saying the points were valid and should be heard, but they may not represent the views of the over 6,600-person guiding community on Antarctica. IAATO added that tourism helps educate and advocate for conservation, and the agency tries to curb risks by limiting the number of people on the continent at any given time.
Visitors should have realistic expectations
The weather will determine whether a flight can operate safely, so there are some days when a tour is scheduled but cannot fly — meaning guests must prepare for uncertainty and possible disappointment.
"We're quite conservative about when we fly, but we'd ideally want a blue-sky day," he said, adding the company completes an average of 200 flights per season. "We'd like to fly three or perhaps four times per trip, but it's really what the weather will allow us."
Morrison said he updates guests on the weather during daily briefings and emphasizes that helicopters will only fly when it's safe.
Courtesy of Jonathan Mutch
Most people do get the chance to fly over Antarctica, thanks to long itineraries and a variety of destination options.
The single-pilot flightseeing tours carry up to six passengers, with everyone getting a window seat. To optimize capacity, landings will carry up to nine, as prime seating is unnecessary.
"There's Fournier Bay on Anvers Island, an amphitheater of steep ice cliffs, and if we can get above the ridge, you can see up to 100 miles of the Antarctic Peninsula on a clear day," Mutch said, speaking about his favorite sites. "It's not unusual to have guests welling up, overwhelmed with emotion."
Together, they have pursued cases against the president’s enemies and protesters and amplified false claims of widespread election fraud, often citing thin evidence.
Canadian electroclash artist Peaches has been delighting, amusing and shocking music lovers and festivalgoers for the past three decades. Her shows are also a safe space for all genders and sexualities, although less so if you are averse to crowd surfing, extravagant pubic wigs and body-augmenting costumes.
Shock and anger greeted the Pakistani Supreme Court's decision to uphold the conviction and death sentence of a Christian man accused of blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad.
Supporters say the decision has far-reaching implications for human rights in Pakistan and for the country's standing on the international stage. The Open Doors 2026 World Watch List included the Asian nation in its top 10 list of countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution.
CeCe Heil, senior counsel and international legal director for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), told Fox News Digital the case against brothers Amoon and Qaisar Ayub began in 2014.
Qaisar was arrested after a WordPress site displayed the Ayub brothers’ contact information and shared content that insulted the Prophet Muhammad. Amoon was arrested the following year. Heil says that in the 12 years of legal wrangling that followed, the Pakistani legal system has never presented evidence proving that either brother was truly affiliated with the offending WordPress blog site.
The ACLJ, through its Pakistani counterpart, the Organization for Legal Aid (OLA), began representing Amoon shortly after his arrest in 2015. Both brothers were sentenced to death in 2018. They unsuccessfully sought appeal in the Lahore High Court in 2022. After a continuation at the Supreme Court in 2025, Qaisar asked the OLA to represent him.
Following years of arguments and 13 postponed hearings, an Oct. 7 verdict from the Supreme Court saw Amoon acquitted after some 10 years in prison, while Qaisar’s conviction and death sentence was upheld.
Heil said a threatening atmosphere now attends many blasphemy hearings, where she says "mobs" commonly show up in courtrooms.
In one trial, she said a mob filmed themselves saying that "if the judge does not enforce death by hanging, we will kill him by our own hands." She said another video shows a prominent lawyer involved in numerous blasphemy cases celebrating the 15-year journey that led to Qaisar’s sentencing. A translation of the description reads, "There is only one punishment for one who insults the Prophet: The death penalty for Qaisar Ayub."
Heil said the precedent set by the Supreme Court’s decision could impact "every single person that is sitting in prison right now on blasphemy charges," which includes at least three OLA clients.
Other Christian men facing death include Shahzad Masih, who was 16 years old when he was accused of blasphemy in 2017. He was sentenced to death five years later. His appeals have repeatedly been postponed since 2022.
Intizar Masih is awaiting trial for a blasphemous post he is said to have shared on WhatsApp in 2023. Ahsan Masih was accused of posting blasphemous content to TikTok in 2023, and was sentenced to death the following year. His appeal hearings have also been postponed.
The OLA plans to file a review petition with the Supreme Court as early as this week, addressing the lack of evidence convicting Qaisar. They also plan to reach out directly to the Government of Pakistan to request support, including a presidential pardon for Qaisar.
Heil said she finds it "very strange" for a country posturing itself as a "more tolerant" negotiator between world powers in the ongoing conflict in Iran to fail to protect the religious freedoms of its people.
The Pakistani Embassy in Washington, D.C., did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about the possibility of a presidential pardon for Qaisar, or whether the Supreme Court’s decision could impact Pakistan’s perception in the West, or if justice can prevail in courtrooms mobbed with threatening onlookers.
A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the U.S. "is concerned about religious freedom in Pakistan and throughout the world" and "we regularly discuss this concern with Pakistan, as we would with any country."
Heil said the ACLJ has requested that Morris Tidball-Binz, the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, intercede on Qaisar’s behalf.
Tidball-Binz did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about whether he held concerns about the precedent set by the Supreme Court upholding Qaisar’s conviction.
The Human Rights Council secretariat provided a letter that Tidball-Binz and other U.N. officials wrote to the Government of Pakistan in September 2025, emphasizing their concerns about the cases of the Ayub brothers and Shahazad Masih.
It stated, "Without making any judgment as to the accuracy of the information made available to us, we would like to express our grave concern about the imposition of the mandatory death penalty for blasphemy related charges against Mr. Shahzad Masih, Mr. Qaiser Ayub and Mr. Amoon Ayub, despite an apparent lack of conclusive evidence against them for acts and for offenses which do not qualify as ‘most serious crimes.’"
The U.N. officials concluded, "If the above allegations prove to be accurate, they would be in contravention of Mr. Shahazad Masih´s, Mr. Qaiser Ayub’s and Mr. Amoon Ayub’s rights to life, not to be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, not to be deprived arbitrarily of their liberty and to be afforded fair proceedings before an independent and impartial tribunal, to freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief, the right to express their opinion in a peaceful manner and the right to be equal before the law and are entitled to the equal protection of the law without any discrimination."
The Government of Pakistan responded earlier this year, and outlined how "Under Pakistan's Constitution, such matters fall within the judicial domain, and the Executive is constitutionally prohibited from intervening in individual cases."
By a 2-1 vote, a federal appeals court panel denied the Trump administration’s request that it immediately order the state to set aside 20,000 mail-in ballots.
A Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD) tem 24 investigadores incluídos na lista dos cientistas de maior impacto científico em 2025, elaborada por investigadores da Universidade de Stanford, nos Estados Unidos da América, e publicada pela editora Elsevier. Este estudo baseou-se nos dados da Scopus, a maior base de dados mundial de resumos e citações de publicações científicas.
A UTAD conta ainda com 11 investigadores na lista que avalia o impacto científico ao longo da carreira, num total de 29 cientistas distintos, sendo que seis integram ambas as listas.
O número de investigadores da UTAD na lista referente a 2025 mais do que duplicou em relação ao ano anterior, tendo aumentado de 11 para 24. Segundo a UTAD, este crescimento supera o registado a nível nacional, constituindo “o maior aumento entre as instituições portuguesas de dimensão semelhante analisadas”.
Dos 24 investigadores que integram a lista de 2025, 18 não constam da classificação que avalia o impacto científico acumulado ao longo da carreira, o que evidencia a presença de investigadores cuja contribuição científica se destaca no período mais recente.
Paulo Fernandes é o investigador da UTAD com a melhor posição na classificação de 2025. Na área da silvicultura, ocupa o 15.º lugar entre 36 413 autores, posicionando-se entre os 0,04% com maior impacto.
Seguem-se A. Vilela, na área da Ciência Alimentar, entre os 0,32% mais bem classificados; Amélia M. Silva, em Farmacologia, entre os 0,34%; Jaime Sampaio, em Ciências do Desporto, entre os 0,70%; e Berta Gonçalves, em Biologia Vegetal, entre os 0,75%.
A distribuição por áreas científicas evidencia o peso da Agricultura, Pescas e Silvicultura e da Investigação Biomédica, que, em conjunto, representam 15 das 24 entradas da UTAD na lista de 2025.
Sete investigadores desenvolvem trabalho nas áreas da microbiologia, parasitologia e ciências veterinárias, enquadradas na abordagem One Health, que reconhece a ligação entre a saúde humana, animal e ambiental. Outros cinco trabalham em química alimentar e vegetal.
Os restantes investigadores distribuem-se por áreas como a toxicologia, engenharia, informática e materiais, clima e agricultura, ambiente e recursos geológicos, silvicultura e ecologia e ciências do desporto.
A lista utiliza o C-Score, um indicador que considera fatores como as citações recebidas, a coautoria e a posição dos investigadores nos artigos científicos. O objetivo é avaliar o impacto do trabalho científico, indo além do número de publicações de cada investigador.
A associação dos cientistas à UTAD é determinada pela afiliação mais recente registada na base de dados Scopus. Esta pode corresponder diretamente à universidade ou a um dos seus centros de investigação: o Centro de Investigação e Tecnologias Agroambientais e Biológicas (CITAB), o Centro de Química de Vila Real (CQ-VR) e o Centro de Ciência Animal e Veterinária (CECAV).
De acordo com a UTAD, os resultados reforçam a presença da universidade em diferentes domínios científicos e evidenciam “o crescimento do número de investigadores da instituição reconhecidos pelo impacto da sua produção científica”.
In this arts24 music show, Jennifer Ben Brahim brings us a roundup of the big music releases and news of the week, from US rapper Macklemore's charity stadium shows to raise money for Palestine, to the return of R'n'B crooner John Legend with his 11th album "Muse" – his first collaboration with close friend Pharrell Williams.
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