Japan’s Moon landing was the most precise ever

Japan became the fifth country to soft-land a spacecraft on the Moon using precision technology, but a power failure may have restricted its survival on the lunar surface to a few hours.

International

thumbnail image — Daichi Hirano, Hitoshi Kuninaka, Shinichiro Sakai and Masatsugu Otsuki from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), smile in front of a screen showing an image taken by LEV-2 on the moon, after their press conference on SLIM’s moon landing mission, in Tokyo, Japan January 25, 2024. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

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Paolo Natale

Front of mind

India’s political troubles explained

Rahul Gandhi calls out the ECI for “vote theft,” but the Commission demands proof or apology.

On August 7, 2025, Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing it of enabling “vote theft” during the 2024 general elections. He pointed to alleged irregularities in voter rolls in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura constituency, citing thousands of duplicate entries, invalid addresses, bulk registrations, and faulty photographs. Gandhi labelled the claims as the result of six months of research by his team and demanded transparency, including access to digital voter lists and CCTV footage.

How a Senegalese engineer is using 3D printers to tackle plastic pollution

Senegal struggles with a severe plastic waste crisis, producing around 250,000 metric tons annually.

In Dakar, a young self-taught engineer is changing the perspective of plastic waste. Francois Mbengue has developed a device that converts discarded plastic bottles into filament for 3D printers to produce o produce rulers, plant pots and hospital equipment.