As ever

SpaceX is preparing to send its Starship megarocket to orbit for the first time today, September 28, with the flight being streamed live. The launch marks a milestone for the most powerful rocket ever built, a key vehicle in SpaceX's plans for deep space missions. Space enthusiasts and observers worldwide are watching closely to see whether the spacecraft completes its orbital attempt.

SpaceX is conducting the 14th test flight of its Starship rocket, with the vehicle heading toward orbit from its launch site in Texas. Live coverage of the launch is drawing large audiences as watchers follow the progress of the most powerful rocket ever built. The flight is part of SpaceX's iterative testing programme toward future Moon and Mars missions.

A remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has been revealed, according to the claim circulating widely. The news is drawing strong attention from Zelda fans, as the 1998 Nintendo 64 title is widely regarded as one of the most influential games ever made. No further details about the project, its developers, platforms or release timing are included in the reports.

Brazil has released the full list of federal deputies elected in the 2026 general elections. The new Chamber of Deputies will have roughly half of its members returning, with analysts noting a consolidation of the right and record results. Erika Hilton made history as the most voted woman ever for the Chamber, and São Paulo's state slate includes Thiago dos Reis of the PT among its elected representatives.

Donald Trump has repeated his promise to send Americans a $5,000 payment, reviving a proposal he floated during his campaign that was pitched as a dividend from government cost-cutting efforts. Supporters see it as direct relief for households, while critics question how it would be funded and whether the money would ever materialise. The pledge is drawing fresh debate about budgets, inflation and campaign promises.

WBC super flyweight champion Jesse Rodriguez, a three-division world titleholder, was asked about a potential fight with Japan's undisputed champion Naoya Inoue. He responded that he would not interfere, saying he wants Inoue to remain a great fighter. The remarks have drawn attention among Japanese boxing fans debating whether the two champions could ever meet in the ring.

A squadron of Northern Fleet warships has arrived at the port of Dudinka on the Yenisei River in Russia's Arctic. The Navy reports the vessels completed the first transit in Russian naval history through the Shokalsky Strait, a narrow passage in the Kara Sea. The milestone Arctic deployment is drawing attention amid growing focus on Russia's Northern Sea Route and military presence in the High North.

NASA has reportedly asked several former SR-71A Blackbird personnel to help with a secret restart effort, according to Aviation Week. The program, retired from service decades ago, remains one of the fastest crewed aircraft ever built. Details of what is being revived and why are not public, fuelling speculation among aviation enthusiasts about hypersonics, reconnaissance, or engineering nostalgia.

Onlíner reports that Avengers: Endgame has become the highest-grossing film in history, overtaking James Cameron's Avatar. The milestone closes the long-running race between the two blockbusters, which had traded the record since Endgame's 2019 release and Avatar's later re-releases. Film fans and entertainment outlets are weighing in on which franchise truly deserves the crown.

Carnegie Mellon University has announced a $3 billion gift from billionaire investor Ken Griffin, described by the university as the largest in its history and as pioneering a new model for philanthropic giving. The donation ranks among the biggest ever made to a US university, prompting discussion about the scale of Griffin's philanthropy and what the funding will mean for the institution.

Attention is turning to the most improbable gold medallists in Olympic history — athletes who overcame long odds, unexpected setbacks, or underdog status to win Olympic titles. People are revisiting these surprising champion stories and debating which unlikely victories stand out as the greatest shocks the Games have ever produced.

A widely shared joke online claims a fictional universe 'has more lore than my education', drawing large engagement. The quip plays on the idea that fans invest more time memorizing the deep backstories of games, films or anime series than they ever did on school subjects, striking a chord with audiences who recognize the sentiment.

Social media users are discussing what daily news looks like in Brunei, a small country of under half a million people. The question came up in comparison with Singapore, which is often joked about as having a famously quiet news cycle where 'nothing ever happens', with people curious how local reporting fills the airwaves in an even smaller nation.

Interest is surging in combat robotics, with a deep dive into the most dangerous BattleBots ever built topping trending charts. The feature explains the weapons and engineering behind the machines that dominate the robot combat arena, from spinning blades to flippers and hammers. Fans are debating which machines deserve the title of most lethal, reigniting talk around the BattleBots competition and the Robot Wars legacy.

Researchers at QLabs have published Dust, a method for pretraining transformer models without using backpropagation. The work challenges the fundamental training algorithm underpinning modern AI, and it is drawing attention among machine learning practitioners debating whether such alternatives could ever match gradient-based training at scale.

A syndicated commentary argues that competitive parenting has reached a new level, with parents increasingly going to extremes to give their children an advantage over peers. The piece, running in regional newspapers, reflects growing debate over intensive parenting practices and the pressure families feel to invest ever more time and money in their children's futures.

Christie's is auctioning a document linked to the first data packet ever sent using RFC 1149, the humorous 1990 protocol that defined an 'avian carrier' — carrier pigeon — as a way to transmit Internet Protocol packets. The lot appears in the auction house's Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts including Science sale, and the unusual mix of early internet history and computing folklore has drawn attention from the tech community.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has added a hostess basket and playing cards to her As ever lifestyle goods range, expanding the collection she sells from her Montecito, California base. The new additions signal her continued push into the lifestyle and consumer products market following the brand's launch.

A report by the clean mobility group Transport & Environment asks whether cars have grown too large, framing vehicle size as a key decision point for road safety, urban space and emissions. The piece suggests the trend towards ever-bigger SUVs and heavier electric models is now being questioned by policymakers and city planners across Europe.

Formula 1 writers address reader questions in a new mailbag, weighing whether the podium at the Malaysian Grand Prix ranks among the greatest ever and whether the sport should bring back V8 engines. The discussion touches on race drama, standout driver performances, and nostalgia for the louder, more powerful engine era as fans continue debating F1's technical direction.

Seoul housing prices have now risen for 86 consecutive weeks, described as the longest sustained increase on record. Real estate expert Kim In-man said he has never seen a market like this, reflecting how unusual the momentum has become. The run of gains is intensifying debate over affordability and whether authorities will step in with further measures to cool the market.