Top Stories of the Week: June 7-11

                                    A roundup of this week's top stories

• Making net-zero possible

  With a light finally appearing at the end of the Covid-19 tunnel, the world is starting to turn its attention back to an even bigger existential crisis – the climate emergency. Not that long ago, it was hard to imagine that governments, industries...

• Rare buckwheat provides hurdle for US lithium mining

  A rare wild flower endemic to western Nevada may hinder progress for the US's lithium mining sector following a US environmental agency looking to list it as endangered, which should provide some degree of legal protection...

• Demise of King Coal could cause turmoil in Germany

  The planned timeline for ending coal power generation in Germany could cause the country significant challenges as it battles to meet future electricity demand. That’s a key conclusion from a new white paper on Germany’s coal phase-out plans by...

• UK's first standalone 5G network to power up Milton Keynes

  The UK's first 5G network has been launched in Milton Keynes, which could stand to power driverless cars, medical equipment and robots as part of a collaboration between Milton Keynes Council and network provider Connected Places Catapult (CPC).

• United wants to revive supersonic aviation with Boom Supersonic deal

  United Airlines has signed a deal with Denver-based start-up Boom Supersonic with which it aims to revive the era of supersonic commercial aviation nearly 20 years after it ended with Concorde's retirement...

• Bosch opens €1bn Dresden chip plant, Merkel urges "catch-up"

  Engineering and tech giant Bosch has opened its €1 billion semiconductor plant in Dresden, Germany, a record investment by the company as it aims to take its place in the rapidly growing electric vehicle value chain and battle the ongoing global...

• Pfizer expand vaccine testing in under-12s

  Pfizer has expanded its clinical trials to test the efficacy and safety of its vaccine by administering doses to a larger sample of under-12s as vaccine rollout increases to allow younger people access to inoculation...