China’s largest battery maker for electric vehicles has launched an aviation division in preparation to begin mass production of electric planes, according to reports. Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), which supplies batteries for Tesla, claims to have achieved the “holy grail” energy density required for commercial electric aircraft of 500 Watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg). The company announced the feat at the Auto Shanghai trade fair earlier this year, with chief scientist Wu Kai claiming that it was poised to begin production of a commercially viable battery for electric aircraft. “With an energy density of up to 500Wh/kg, it can achieve a high energy density and a high level of safety at the same time in a creative manner, opening up a brand-new electrification scenario of passenger aircrafts,” the company said in a statement at the time. “CATL can achieve mass production of condensed battery for electric vehicles in a short period of time.” CATL has now launched a joint venture with state-owned plane manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), Yicai Global reported, following four years of research into the technology. The advent of electric aircraft has become a realistic prospect in recent years following several major battery breakthroughs that have the potential to overcome cost and capacity limitations. Israel-based startup Eviation completed the first flight of an electric commuter plane last year, taking off from an airport in Washington before touching down eight minutes later. The Alice aircraft is capable of transporting nine passengers and their luggage, or a tonne of cargo, and has been hailed as the first battery-powered plane viable for short-haul commercial journeys of up to 645km (400 miles). Regional airlines and logistics firms in the US have already ordered more than 200 Alice planes, with Eviation aiming to fulfil the orders by 2026. The Independent has contacted CATL for a production timeframe of its electric plane batteries. Read More Battery breakthroughs are about to trigger a transport revolution

Today’s Google Doodle is a reminder that some human beings are truly extraordinary. The design, which you’ll see if you head to the search engine’s homepage, is a celebration of Dr Mohamed “Mod” Helmy – a man who risked his life to save Jewish people during the Second World War. Dr Helmy was born in Khartoum, Sudan, on 25 July, 1901, to an Egyptian father and a German mother. At the age of 21, he moved to Germany to study medicine, swiftly proving his skills as a talented physician and becoming head of urology at Berlin’s Robert Koch Hospital (now known as Krankenhaus Moabit). Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter However, Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in 1933 was to turn his happy life upside down. Dr Helmy was forced to watch, powerless, as his Jewish colleagues were all fired from the hospital. And whilst he was initially kept on, he was soon subjected to discrimination and persecution for being a North African, and lost his job, too. He was also banned from marrying his German fiancée Annie Ernst (although, we’re pleased to say, he was able to do so some years later). In 1939 and again in 1940, the doctor was arrested along with other Egyptian nationals. And although the Nazis released him when he became gravely ill, he was under strict instruction to report to the police twice a day as proof he was unfit for internment. Despite being targeted by the regime himself, Dr Helmy continued to speak out against Nazi policies and, after being demoted to the role of doctor’s assistant, he made the most of his limited position by writing sick notes to help innocent people escape hard labour. He also repeatedly risked his life to help his Jewish friends. When Berlin’s deportation of the Jews began and his family friend Anna Boros was in need of a hiding place, Dr Helmy brought her to a cabin he owned in the neighbourhood of Buch. This became her safe haven until the end of the war, as Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Center, notes in its biography of the doctor. At times of danger, when he was under police investigation, Dr Helmy would arrange for Boros to hide elsewhere. “A good friend of our family, Dr Helmy…hid me in his cabin in Berlin-Buch from 10 March until the end of the war,” she wrote after the war. “As of 1942 I no longer had any contact [with] the outside world. The Gestapo knew that Dr Helmy was our family physician, and they knew that he owned a cabin in Berlin-Buch. “He managed to evade all their interrogations. In such cases he would bring me to friends where I would stay for several days, introducing me as his cousin from Dresden. When the danger would pass, I would return to his cabin. “Dr Helmy did everything for me out of the generosity of his heart and I will be grateful to him for eternity”. Dr Helmy also helped protect Boros’ mother, Julianna, her stepfather, Georg Wehr, and her grandmother, Cecilie Rudnik. Thanks to his courage and resourcefulness, all four of them survived the Holocaust. He remained in Berlin until his death in 1982. In 2013, Yad Vashem posthumously bestowed its Righteous Among the Nations award on Dr Helmy. He was the first Arab rescuer to be awarded the prestigious title. The Google Doodle artwork was created by Berlin-based artist Noa Snir to honour his Egyptian and German background and capture his open-hearted nature. Speaking about her work on the project, Snir told a Google Q&A: ": I found the story of Mod Helmy very moving. I come from a Jewish background, and the thought of individuals outside of the Jewish community risking their lives to help others during WW2 is something that personally gives me hope about humanity. "I think Helmy's case is an especially interesting one as he himself suffered persecution due to his background and ethnicity, and that still didn't stop him from helping as many people as he could. It's unfathomable to me, this type of courage and integrity." She added that she hoped people would view her Doodle and reflect on the fact that "even in one of the darkest moments in world history, there were truly remarkable people who made acts of extreme courage and solidarity". "I think we should all aspire to be the Mod Helmy's of the world, or ask ourselves how we can take example from him in whatever small way we can," she said. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Castlevania is a classic franchise that's often imitated, but rarely duplicated. That said, there are

Artificial intelligence could soon be used to perform radiotherapy to treat certain cancers for the first time. Draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has given approval to nine AI technologies for performing external beam radiotherapy in lung, prostate and colorectal cancers, which could save radiographers hundreds of thousands of hours and help relieve pressure on radiotherapy departments. Currently therapeutic radiographers outline healthy organs on digital images of a CT or MRI scan by hand so that the radiotherapy does not damage healthy cells by minimising the dose to normal tissue. Nice found that using AI to create the contours could free up between three and 80 minutes of radiographers’ time for each treatment plan, and that AI-generated contours were of a similar quality to manually drawn ones. Nice said that the contours would still be reviewed by a trained healthcare professional. It comes after a study found AI was safe to use in breast cancer screenings with evidence growing that it can be more effective in detecting cancers. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Meanwhile, Nice said it was also examining the evidence for using AI in stroke and chest scans. Dr Sarah Byron, the programme director for health technologies at Nice, said using AI could help reduce waiting lists. She added: “NHS colleagues working on the frontline in radiotherapy departments are under severe pressure with thousands of people waiting for scans. “The role imaging plays in radiotherapy treatment planning is quite pivotal, so recommending the use of AI technologies to help support treatment planning alongside clinical oversight by a trained healthcare professional could save both time and money. “We will continue to focus on what matters most and the recommendations made by our independent committee can help to bring waiting lists down for those needing radiotherapy treatment.” The health secretary, Steve Barclay, welcomed the announcement. He said: “It’s hugely encouraging to see the first positive recommendation for AI technologies from a Nice committee, as I’ve been clear the NHS must embrace innovation to keep fit for the future. “These tools have the potential to improve efficiency and save clinicians thousands of hours of time that can be spent on patient care. Smart use of tech is a key part of our NHS long-term workforce plan, and we’re establishing an expert group to work through what skills and training NHS staff may need to make best use of AI.” Charlotte Beardmore, the executive director of professional policy at the Society of Radiographers, welcomed the draft guidance but said it was not a replacement for staff and caution was needed. “It is critical there is evidence to underpin the safe application of AI in this clinical setting,” she said. Using AI would still require input by a therapeutic radiographer or another member of the oncology multi-professional team, she added. “Investment in the growth of the radiography workforce remains critical.” Science is pretty amazing. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Adobe Inc.’s blistering rally has further to go, according to Morgan Stanley analyst Keith Weiss, who sees the

A plan to prevent Milwaukee from going bankrupt is expected to win bipartisan approval in the Wisconsin Legislature

N'Golo Kante FIFA 23 End of an Era SBC is now live. Here's how to complete the SBC and if it's worth it.

An updated rule curbing exports of U.S. chipmaking equipment to China is in the final stages of review,

Sexyy Red rose to fame in 2018 for her unique rendition of Vanessa Carlton's 'A Thousand Miles'

The Island Boys have sparked further backlash after pushing more inappropriate content that has disturbed fans. The twin sibling rappers, Kodiyakredd and Flyysoulja, whose real names are Franky and Alex Venegas first rose to fame in 2021 thanks to their viral track 'I’m An Island Boy' becoming a hit on TikTok. Now, they are instead turning heads for some questionable OnlyFans content that includes footage of them kissing, sparking backlash. Weeks later, Flyysoulja came out as gay. The brothers have continued to share controversial content, hinting at a NSFW intimate act between the two, but it is suspected that it may not be what it first appears. In a since-deleted video posted on the No Jumper Instagram page, a screenshot appeared to show Flyysoulja taking a selfie in the mirror. In the picture, his brother crouched by his crotch area suggesting that a sexual act was taking place. A large emoji was placed over the intimate area. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The screenshot comes from a video posted by Flyysoulja onto social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that was captioned: “He got skills.” The video showed Kodiyakredd with an object that looked like a carrot or a hot dog, suggesting the video was a prank to trick fans and thankfully revealed he was not near his brother’s genitals. Many were shocked by the Instagram screenshot and suggested that it was a bizarre prank to pull, even if it was fake. One person wrote: “Even if this is fake why on earth would you do thi… never mind.” “Man, what the !!” said another person. “I had to close my phone and throw it away after this dawg”. It seems that Flyysoulja isn’t shy about sharing his junk on the internet, as he recently sparked backlash for exposing himself during a live Kick stream with Adin Ross. Ross reacted: “Alright, that was insane, dude. I can’t believe he just did that. On my life, that was disgusting. On my f**king life. Wow, bro. That is insane. That is beyond crazy.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

NY Jets star defender Sauce Gardner has set his sights on a lofty career goal: gracing the cover of Madden NFL.When Madden 24 released its cover featuring quarterback Josh Allen, New York Jets' Sauce Gardner took one look and said: "Naw."Call it ambition or delusion, but Gardn...

The move could be good news for the Japanese, but roil global financial markets. Plus, investment newsletter commentary on venture-capital’s problems, tech stocks’ vulnerabilities, and Berkshire Hathaway’s cash.