PARIS The European Space Agency said it plans to set a target period for the first launch of

Scientists have urged people not to speculate about why Iberian orcas have been ramming into vessels, warning that demonising them could put the already endangered animal at risk. Orcas coming into contact with vessels n the Mediterranean are most likely being playful and are not “attacking” the boats as previously speculated, after more than 250 boats have been damaged by the species since 2020. Experts have warned the idea that the orcas intend to do harm could lead to the creatures being harmed by humans, after footage showing a sailor opening fire on a pod earlier this month. One theory proposed by marine scientists is that the orcas’ behaviour is a ‘cultural fad’ and will likely go away as attention over the animals decreases. There are 15 orcas believed to be responsible for the recent rammings, with damage varying from teeth marks to the sinking of five boats entirely. In an open letter, the scientists said: “We urge the media and public to avoid projecting narratives onto these animals. In the absence of further evidence, people should not assume they understand the animals’ motivations. “We are concerned that factual errors related to these interactions are being repeated in the media … we believe this narrative inappropriately projects human motivations onto these whales and we are concerned that perpetuating it will lead to punitive responses by mariners or managers.” Scientists remain baffled over the behaviour of the orcas off the Spanish and Portuguese coasts, but agree they are likely being playful and socialising with each other instead of acting aggressively, the letter says. “The whales have shown a wide range of behaviours during the interactions, many of them consistent with playful social behaviour,” the letter continues. “There is no evidence of an identifiable ‘leader’ of these interactions. Despite the damage to vessels, we believe characterising the interactions as ‘attacks’ is misleading. “ Orcas (and other dolphin species) elsewhere have been known to develop cultural ‘fads’ (novel behaviour that briefly persists and expands within a population—an analogy might be fashion trends in people), such as carrying dead fish on their heads. While these vessel interactions may be a similar phenomenon, they are persisting longer than typical fad behaviour, expanding within the population and escalating in impact. Nevertheless, it is possible the behaviour, as previous fads have, will disappear as suddenly as it appeared. Of the fifteen orcas believed to be responsible for the rammings, 11 are calves and four are adult females. Iberian orcas are considered critically endangered, with possibly less than 40 in their population. Earlier in June a sailor told how his yacht was thrown around like a “rag doll” by orcas near Gibraltar, as the mammals tore off its rudders. “I noticed a fin then noticed a light bump and then a very big bump and looked round and there was a very large whale pushing along the back and trying to bite the rudder,” he told BBC Radio 4. “Then we lost the second rudder so we had no mechanism of steering the boat and the whales were in charge of the boat and they pushed us around like a rag doll,” he added. Read More Shark attacks swimmer in shallows of popular Spanish holiday beach Fisherman airlifted to hospital after shark bite off coast of Portugal Lolita the orca dies after spending more than half a century in captivity Russia says 10 bodies and flight recorders recovered from Prigozhin jet crash site Tourist sprays football graffiti on 460-year-old Italian landmark Belarus president says he warned Wagner chief to watch out for threats – Ukraine live

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Back in 2019, Mauricio Pochettino came perilously close to linking up with compatriot Paulo Dybala. The then Tottenham manager had hoped to bring the Argentine to north London to strengthen their frontline following a 2-0 Champions League final to Liverpool a few months earlier. The deal, of course, fell through, as Dybala remained at Juventus before moving to Roma last summer. The 29-year-old was welcomed to the Italian capital with open arms, and he enjoyed a solid debut season at the Stadio Olimpico, scoring 12 goals and providing six assists for Jose Mourinho’s Roma outfit. And yet, Dybala’s time in Rome could already be drawing to a close. The forward has a €12m release clause, active for overseas sides, which is valid until the end of July. That does present the opportunity for a potential link up between Dybala and Pochettino. Chelsea are in the market for another striker this summer, this despite the additions of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson from RB Leipzig and Villarreal, respectively, and this has led them to Serie A. As per The Independent, Chelsea are exploring the possibility of turning their attention to Italy’s top tier in a bid to bolster their frontline, with Dybala and Juventus hitman Dusan Vlahovic both emerging as potential targets for the Blues. Two different striker profiles, but the reasoning for considering one or the other is sound. The arrivals of Nkunku and Jackson means the Blues are versatile in their approach for another forward, with Dybala operating better as a second striker and Vlahovic considered more of an out-and-out frontman. Initially a move for Dybala perhaps makes more sense financially. €12m for a forward of his calibre is a steal in the modern market, but even if Chelsea are able to pay that release clause, agreeing terms with the player is another matter entirely. Dybala, who turns 30 in November, is said to be happy in Rome, and even if Chelsea could strike a deal with the Argentina international, is he worth the risk? Dybala’s injury issues are well documented, and his fitness concerns meant he started just 22 of a possible 38 league matches for Roma in 2022/23. Furthermore, with the capture of Nkunku, do Chelsea really need a similar forward on the books? The Frenchman, likely Dybala, is able to lead the charge, but is better playing off a striker in the number 10 role, rather than as the lone striker in Pochettino’s favoured 4-2-3-1 setup. As such, why invest so much in Nkunku to then sign an injury-prone attacker who operates in the same role in order to half-heartedly bolster the attack? Chelsea have made a habit of making poor tranfer decisions in recent seasons, but if they are looking to add another forward, then a move for Vlahovic would make more sense. The towering Serb hasn’t quite lived up to expectations at Juventus following his arrival from Fiorentina 18 months ago, but 17 league goals in a disfunctional Old Lady outfit isn’t to be scoffed at. Of course, he’d cost significantly more than Dybala - one report states that Juventus are willing to consider offers in the region of €75m for the ex-Viola man - but at 23 years of age, he’d be a far better investment in the long-term, and match Chelsea’s current approach of signing the best young players. What’s important to note is that Vlahovic is a striker who, to put it bluntly, knows how to put the ball in the back of the net. This was better evidenced during his time with Fiorentina, but is a quality to his game that fans have bore witness too in fits and spurts at Juventus. Summer signing Jackson is another consistent finisher having returned the best conversion rate (29.3 per cent) in La Liga last season, yet Vlahovic’s arrival would afford Pochettino some attacking flexibility. While he did play up front for Villarreal last season, Jackson has been considered a winger in the past. Factor in Nkunku’s ability to play a number of roles on the frontline and Vlahovic’s biggest strength being to operate as the lone forward, and Pochettino would have an impressive array of strikers on the books that each offer something different. So while Chelsea are considering their Serie A striking options in a bid to strengthen in the final third, they should focus their efforts on Vlahovic rather than Dybala if the Blues do have their heart set on raiding Italy for another frontman this summer. Read More Chelsea target two Serie A players in quest for experienced strikers Mauricio Pochettino explains Chelsea ‘risk’ as club enters new era Mauricio Pochettino tells Chelsea to banish last season and deliver from day one Chelsea target two Serie A players in quest for experienced strikers Mauricio Pochettino explains Chelsea ‘risk’ as club enters new era Arsenal transfer news: Record Rice bid, Timber and Xhaka latest