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It’s been more than 60 years since a woman travelled into space without a man. And now six of them have blasted off from Earth.

Popstar Katy Perry, author Lauren Sanchez, journalist and TV presenter Gayle King, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, former rocket scientist Aisha Bowe and filmmaker Kerianne Flynn successfully took off in Jeff Bezos‘ Blue Origin rocket this afternoon (UK time).

It was the latest flight of the New Shepard programme, named NS-31, and was aimed at creating a “lasting impact that will inspire generations”, with the women forming the first all-female crew since Russian engineer Valentina Tereshkova’s solo flight to space in 1963.

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All-female crew is launched into space

Pic: Blue Origin
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The capsule landing with a thud. Pic: Blue Origin

Among the celebrities gathered to watch the historic launch were Kris Jenner and Khloe Kardashian, and Oprah Winfrey, a long-time friend of Gayle King.

She told Blue Origin host Charissa Thompson that she had “never been more proud” of her friend.

“I think life is about continuing to grow into the best of yourself, and I think this is one of the fullest expressions of yourself that you can have,” she added.

The flight profile of the New Shepard rocket. Pic: Blue Origin
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The flight path of the New Shepard rocket. Pic: Blue Origin

The trip only lasted around 11 minutes, with the reusable self-driving rocket taking off from Launch Site One in West Texas, at 8.30am local time (2.30pm BST).

It reached a maximum height of 107km (62 miles) above Earth, with the women technically entering space as the capsule crosses the Karman line, which is internationally recognised as the boundary of space.

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Kardashians share support for all-female crew

They will not, however, be classed as astronauts by the Federal Aviation Administration, NASA or US military, which all have different eligibility requirements for people to become commercial astronauts.

While in space, the crew had about four minutes of weightlessness to float around and take in the views of Earth from the capsule’s large windows.

The crew capsule then descended back to Earth using three parachutes.

(L-R) William Shatner and Jeff Bezos before their respective New Shepard flights
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(L-R) William Shatner and Jeff Bezos before their respective New Shepard flights. Pic: Reuters/AP

Before Monday’s flight, 52 people had been taken into space as part of billionaire and Amazon chief Mr Bezos’ programme, including the man himself, who joined the New Shepard’s maiden voyage in 2021.

Star Trek actor William Shatner became the oldest person in space when he joined the mission at the age of 90.

Pic: Blue Origin
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Sanchez hugging Bezos after going up into space. Pic: Blue Origin

How the crew was picked

Mr Bezos’ fiancee led the mission. Sanchez told Elle magazine she chose her fellow crew members because each had “proven their ability to inspire others”.

She said all the women will be able to spread the word on what they felt like during the trip, and also expand on ideas of what the next generation of space explorers will look like.

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Katy Perry gears up for spaceflight

Perry, who is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, told Elle that she had been wanting to go to space for almost 20 years, so it was a no-brainer when she got the call.

She said: “Even when Blue Origin was first talking about commercial travel to space, I was like, ‘Sign me up! I’m first in line’. And then they called me, and I was like, ‘Really? I get an invite?’.”

Gayle King poses at the red carpet during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 2, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole
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Journalist and broadcaster Gayle King. Pic: Reuters

For King, who is best known as the co-host of US breakfast show CBS Mornings, the decision wasn’t quite so easy.

“When I got the call from Lauren and Jeff, my first reaction was a no,” she said, adding that she still had “a lot of trepidation” ahead of the trip.

Aisha Bowe arrives at the 56th NAACP Image Awards on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
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Former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe. Pic: AP

Bowe, a former NASA rocket scientist and chief executive of technology company STEMBoard, said she feels like she has been “training for and waiting for this moment [her] entire life”, while civil rights activist Nguyen and film producer Flynn both said the opportunity was a dream come true.

“It was the most incredible experience of my life to be up there and see such vast darkness in space and look down on our planet,” Flynn said.

Amanda Nguyen arrives for the Time 100 Gala celebrating Time magazine's 100 most influential people people in the world in New York, U.S., June 8, 2022. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs
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Civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen. Pic: Reuters

Photo by: Demis Maryannakis/STAR MAX/IPx.11/14/18.Kerianne Flynn at "This Changes Everything" New York Premiere At DOC NYC With Presenting Sponsors Lyft Entertainment And NYWIFT at the SVA Theater.
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Filmmaker Kerianne Flynn. Pic: Demis Maryannakis/AP

Glammed-up astronauts?

As well as making history by being the first all-female crew in space, the women were also thought to be the first group of astronauts to have their hair and makeup done for a mission.

“Who would not get glam before the flight,” Sanchez said, before joking that fake eyelashes would be “flying round the capsule”.

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Highlights from William Shatner’s Blue Origin flight in 2021

Bowe said she had already tested out the hairstyle she planned to have on launch day – by skydiving in Dubai.

“I think it’s so important for people to see us like that,” Nguyen said. “This dichotomy of engineer and scientist, and then beauty and fashion. We contain multitudes. Women are multitudes. I’m going to be wearing lipstick.”

Perry put it another way: “We are going to put the ‘ass’ in astronaut.”

The all-female crew of NS-31, the space programme owned by Amazon's Jeff Bezos
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The all-female crew of NS-31, the space programme owned by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos

The women also shared details of what they planned to take to space, including the original flag from Apollo 12 – the second mission to the moon – a stuffed animal, shells from Malaysia, and conch chowder, the national dish of The Bahamas, which Bowe grew up eating.

Read more:
Is Bezos chasing down Musk in the billionaire space race?
SpaceX tourists return to Earth

Did Perry sing in space?

Before the flight, Perry said she felt like she should perform while floating above the Earth, which would make her the first artist to sing in space.

There was speculation that she might sing one of her own songs, but later revealed she actually chose Louis Armstrong’s What A Wonderful World.

Pic: Blue Origin
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Perry kissing the ground after going to space. Pic: Blue Origin

She said: “I think that it’s not about me or about me singing my songs, it was about a collective energy in there. It’s about this wonderful world that we see right out there and appreciating it.”

She added that she would “for sure” write a song about her experience in space, which she said was “10/10”.

Pic: Blue Origin
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Pic: Blue Origin

Perry said she was taking part in the mission for her daughter Daisy Dove Bloom, who she shares with British actor Orlando Bloom, to teach her that “any type of person can reach their dreams”.

Exiting the capsule after landing, the Firework singer held up a real daisy flower in the air, before kissing the ground.

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Former UN chief’s labelling of Gaza war as ‘genocide’ marks extraordinary shift

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Former UN chief's labelling of Gaza war as 'genocide' marks extraordinary shift

In a stark and direct intervention, Martin Griffiths, the former UN humanitarian chief, has described the situation in Gaza as genocide.

The statement, made during an interview I conducted with Griffiths on The World, marks one of the most pointed accusations yet from a figure known to be deeply embedded in the world of international politics and diplomacy.

“I think now we’ve got to the point this is unequivocal. Of course it is genocide. Just as it is weaponising aid.

“We don’t need to look behind ourselves to see that’s the case. That should encourage us even more because we, of course, all doubted whether it would come to that level of definition.

“We all doubted whether famine is actually there. I think starvation is killing people. That’s bad enough. We don’t have to worry about famine, which is obviously there lurking in the shadows.

“Also, genocide… of course that’s what has happened. We only need to look at the statements made. Prime Minister Netanyahu has the virtue of being very clear about his objectives.”

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Ex-Israeli aide dismisses genocide claims

His choice of words is extraordinary – not just for its gravity, but because it’s Griffiths who is saying it.

A veteran diplomat with decades of experience navigating complex international crises, Griffiths is known for his calm and thoughtful demeanour – not for inflammatory language.

For him to use the term “genocide” in a television interview signals a significant shift in how some within the international system are now interpreting events on the ground in Gaza – 20 months since Israel launched its war.

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‘We carry our coffins with us’

Read more:
How Gaza’s new aid rollout system collapsed into chaos
Israel’s illegal settlements – and those fighting back

The timing is also noteworthy.

Just weeks earlier, Tom Fletcher, another respected former British ambassador and current UN humanitarian chief, came close to using the phrase during a UN Security Council session.

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He said: “What more evidence do you need now? Will you act decisively to prevent genocide and to ensure respect for international humanitarian law? Or will you say instead: ‘we did all we could?'”

Whilst he stopped short, his tone showed a clear change in how leading international figures now view the direction of Israeli military operations in Gaza; staggering civilian deaths, and the statements made by Israeli officials prosecuting this war.

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In full: The World with Yalda Hakim

Griffiths’ remarks now go a step further.

It comes as the British government continues to grapple with public anger over the mounting civilian toll – and faces growing scrutiny over its continued arms exports to Israel.

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Children ‘should be treated in UK’

This latest statement by Griffiths doesn’t just reflect humanitarian concern.

As a former ambassador, he knows the weight his words carry.

And with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsening, his warning challenges Israel’s allies to ask deeply uncomfortable questions.

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Lawyers representing Israel against accusations brought by South Africa to the International Court of Justice last year – accusing its actions in Gaza of amounting to genocide – called the claims “unfounded”, “absurd” and amounting to “libel”.

They went on to say Israel respected international law and had a right to defend itself.

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More than 40% of Europe slides into drought, including pockets of Greece, southern Italy and Spain

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More than 40% of Europe slides into drought, including pockets of Greece, southern Italy and Spain

Well over a third of Europe, including parts of holiday destinations like Spain, Greece and Italy, are now in drought.

March was Europe’s warmest on record – a trend driven by climate change – and also saw below average rain across large parts of the north and east of the continent.

Now 41.2% of Europe finds itself in some form of drought, according to the latest update from the EU’s European Drought Observatory, which covers 11 to 20 May.

It is most acute in pockets of south-eastern Spain, Cyprus, Greece and Albania, where the strongest “alert” category has been issued, as well as parts of Poland and Ukraine.

But broad stretches of northern and eastern Europe through France, Germany, Poland and Ukraine also drying up, sowing concerns about crop yields.

On Thursday, the UK’s Environment Agency officially declared a drought in North West England after river and reservoir levels were licked away by a dry spring.

More than 40% of Europe was in drought as of 11-20 May 2025. Pic: CEMS /  EDO
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More than 40% of Europe was in drought as of 11-20 May 2025. Pic: CEMS / EDO

Heat was record high in March in Europe, while the south of the continent was much wetter than average and the north much drier. Source: Copernicus Climate Change Service
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Heat was record high in March in Europe. The image on the right shows the south of the continent was much wetter than average and the north much drier. Source: Copernicus Climate Change Service

Greece tourism is ‘unsustainable’

In Greece, “overtourism” from millions flocking to its beaches adds further pressure to water supplies, said Nikitas Mylopoulos, professor of water resource management at Thessaly University.

“The tourist sector is unsustainable and there is no planning… leading to a tremendous rise in water demand in summer,” he told Sky News.

“The islands have an intense problem of drought and water scarcity.”

Islands like Santorini and Mykonos are now forced to ship in water from Athens or desalination plants to provide for showers and swimming pools. In the past, many residents could make do with local methods like rainwater harvesting.

But agriculture is a far bigger drain on the country’s water, with waste rife and policies lacking, said Prof Mylopoulos.

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‘Tropical nights’ soar in European hotspots

Wildfire season could be ‘particularly difficult’

This year’s hot and dry conditions are also fuelling the risk of yet another fierce wildfire season in Greece.

Last week civil protection minister Ioannis Kefalogiannis warned of a “particularly difficult” summer.

He said a record 18,000 firefighters have been deployed and the drone fleet almost doubled in a bid to combat fires being fuelled by a hotter climate.

Droughts and their causes are more complicated, but scientists at World Weather Attribution say global warming is exacerbating drought in some parts of the world, including around the Mediterranean.

A family of geese walk across a partially dried-out section of the bed of the Woodhead Reservoir after a prolonged period without rain, which resulted in water levels dropping, near Tintwistle, Britain, May 13, 2025. REUTERS/Phil Noble
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A drought was declared in northwest England on Thursday. Pic: Reuters

They found the drought of 2022, which spread across the Northern Hemisphere, was made 20 times more likely by climate change.

The International Hydropower Association said drought and intense rain in Europe are pushing power plants to “operate at the limits of their existing equipment”.

Extreme weather costs the EU about €28.3bn (£23.8bn) in lost crops and livestock per year, according to insurance firm Howden.

Hayley Fowler, professor of climate change impacts at Newcastle University, said: “With global warming, we expect more prolonged and intense droughts and heatwaves punctuated by more intense rainfall, possibly causing flash floods.

“In recent years, we have experienced more of these atmospheric blocks, causing record heat and persistent drought, as well as severe flooding in other locations in Europe.

“Recent months have been no different, with prolonged dry conditions and heatwaves in northern Europe and floods in southern Europe.”

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Nigeria floods: At least 117 dead as heavy flooding submerges thousands of houses

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Nigeria floods: At least 117 dead as heavy flooding submerges thousands of houses

At least 117 people have died and others are still missing after heavy flooding in Nigeria, an emergency official said.

Authorities initially said 21 people had died but this figure has today risen significantly.

Media reports quoting local government officials said a dam collapse has worsened the situation.

Ibrahim Hussaini, head of Niger State Emergency Management Agency, said some 3,000 houses were underwater in two communities.

Videos posted on social media show floodwater sweeping through neighbourhoods, with rooftops barely visible above the brown currents. One clip shows a tanker floating through a town.

A tanker is swept away by floodwaters in Mokwa, Nigeria
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A tanker is swept away by floodwaters


The chairman of the Mokwa local government area suggested poor infrastructure has worsened the impact of the flooding.

Jibril Muregi has appealed to the government to start “long overdue” construction of waterways in the area under a climate resilience project.

More on Climate Change

Flooding in Niger, Nigeria
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Water appears to be flowing over a dam behind the town

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In a similar occurrence last September, torrential rains and a dam collapse in Nigeria’s northeastern Maiduguri caused severe flooding, leaving at least 30 people dead and displacing millions.

Nigeria is prone to flooding during the rainy season, which began in April – and flooding is becoming more common and extreme as the climate warms.

Read more:
More than 40% of Europe slides into drought
How melting ice is boosting Russia’s military

Hotter air is thirstier and can hold more moisture – about 7% more for every 1C warmer – meaning it unleashes heavier flooding when it rains.

Violent rain, which killed hundreds of people in Nigeria during 2022, was made at least 80 times more likely and 20% more intense by climate change, analysis by World Weather Attribution found.

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