A flying car capable of hitting speeds over 100mph (160kmh) and altitudes above 8,000ft (2,500m) has been issued with a certificate of airworthiness by the Slovak Transport Authority.

The hybrid car-aircraft, AirCar, is equipped with a BMW engine and runs on regular petrol-pump fuel.

It takes two minutes and 15 seconds to transform from car into aircraft.

The certification followed 70 hours of flight testing and more than 200 take-offs and landings, the company said.

“AirCar certification opens the door for mass production of very efficient flying cars,” its creator, Prof Stefan Klein, said.

“It is official and the final confirmation of our ability to change mid-distance travel forever.”

In June, the flying car completed a 35-minute flight between international airports in Nitra and Bratislava, Slovakia.

The three-wheeled PAL-V Liberty, which flies like a gyrocopter, is road legal in Europe and working towards European Union Aviation Safety Agency certification.

Toxic “forever chemicals” used in non-stick saucepans and food packaging have been found in otters across England and Wales, according to a study.

The substances, called PFASs, are also used in waterproof clothing, stain-resistant products and fire retardants.

The chemicals are linked to pregnancy complications, liver disease, cancer and other illnesses.

Scientists say concentrations of these compounds in otters are a guide to levels of pollution in the environment.

The substances can leach out from products, getting into drains and sewage treatment works – from which they can then escape and contaminate the environment more widely.

PFAS substances are present in farmland sludge, which can wash from fields into rivers. Factories and landfill sites are other sources for the chemicals.

Denmark recently banned their use in food packaging paper.

Used since the late 1940s, PFAS chemicals – which are divided into compounds called perfluoroalkyls and polyfluoroalkyls – help to make products water, grease and stain-resistant.

They are known as “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down easily in the environment. They contaminate fish, which can then be ingested by animals and humans. PFAS compounds can also get directly into drinking water.

Picture a lake of the brightest bubblegum-pink sitting beside the deepest blue ocean.

Lake Hillier is one of the extraordinary sights you’ll see flying or cruising through the pristine wilderness of the Recherche Archipelago.

Located on Middle Island, the largest of the Recherche islands and is 11 kilometres from the coast of Cape Arid National Park.

The lake is separated from the Southern Ocean by just a thin strip of sand and it’s widely believed that the water’s permanent strawberry milkshake colour is due to the extremely high level of salinity.

This discovery was made as early as 1802, when Matthew Flinders led an expedition to the islands and collected a sample from the lake, but there has been no definitive proof that salt is the source of its unique hue.

Measuring just 600 metres wide and shaped like a footprint, this relatively small feature has a huge impact when viewed from a scenic flight or cruise, and the untouched islands of the Recherche Archipelago create a stunning backdrop, rich in marine life.

A new report released by the Environment America Research and Policy Center and the Frontier Group states that America’s big-box retail and grocery stores if equipped with rooftop solar could produce enough electricity to power more than 7.9 million households.

Large retail establishments, also called big-box stores, could generate 84.4TWh of solar capacity and California has the potential to produce the highest capacity, enough to power 870,000 households, according to the study.

Big-box stores and shopping centers could replace half of their annual electricity use by fully building out their rooftop solar potential, states the study.

In addition to helping ensure the stability of the grid, equipping the stores with solar would help owners reduce energy bills, achieve sustainability goals, as well as help communities ensure better air quality.

Moreover, store rooftop solar PV projects could help cut electricity losses incurred during energy transmission and distribution.

Florida, Texas, Ohio and Illinois states have also been identified as regions with the potential to help the US speed up its energy revolution through the use case.

Amongst the big-box companies, Walmart is producing the most capacity from solar. The company produces three times more solar energy than its closest competitors per annum.

Walmart has to date saved over $1 million in energy bills owing to onsite solar PV projects.

Other leaders include Apple, Amazon and Target.