99 m. ago The Guardian view on Zambia’s Trumpian predicament: US aid cuts are dwarfed by a far bigger heist | Editorial

As the US decries corruption, a paper suggests the real scandal is multinationals legally extracting billions from Africa’s resource-rich nationDonald Trump’s decision to cut $50m a year in aid to Zambia – one of the world’s poorest nations – is dreadful, and the reason given, corruption, rings hollow. There is evidence of large-scale looting, but the real scandal is that the theft appears legal, systemic and driven by foreign interests. In a paper presented to the Association for Heterodox Economics conference in London later this month, Andrew Fischer of Erasmus University Rotterdam argues that Zambia’s economy is not being plundered by domestic actors but rather by transnational corporate practices enabled by opaque accounting. His findings point to a staggering extraction of wealth that dwarfs the value of the aid intended to help.Zambia is blessed – or perhaps cursed – with mineral wealth. It is Africa’s second-largest copper producer. The metal, key to the green...

Politics

7 h. ago Aid cuts push global funding down by a third in 2025, UN data shows

Agency that coordinates humanitarian responses says that for 44 humanitarian crises it has prioritised this year, only around 11 per cent of the required funding as been confirmed, writes Nick Ferris

Politics

31 h. ago Aid cuts put vital work to protect millions in Ethiopia from climate crisis at risk

Programmes helping vulnerable communities in Ethiopia to deal with the financial shock of extreme weather and drought are under threat, writes Nick Ferris

Events

34 h. ago Brits back cuts to foreign aid, benefits and Net Zero to fund the NHS and police

YouGov research has given an insight into the public's priorities as Rachel Reeves prepares to unveil departmental budgets for the next three years.

Events

39 h. ago The scientists warning the world about ocean acidification – ‘evil twin’ of the climate crisis

There’s frustration among researchers that falling pH levels in seas around the globe are not being taken seriously enough, and that until the buildup of CO2 is addressed, the consequences for marine life will be devastatingRead more: ‘Ticking timebomb’: sea acidity has reached critical levels, threatening entire ecosystems – studyOn a clear day at Plymouth marina you can see across the harbour out past Drake’s Island – named after the city’s most famous son, Francis Drake – to the Channel. It’s quite often possible to see an abundance of marine vessels, from navy ships and passenger ferries to small fishing boats and yachts. What you might not spot from this distance is a large yellow buoy bobbing up and down in the water about six miles off the coast.This data buoy – L4 – is one of a number belonging to Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), a research centre in Devon dedicated to marine science. On a pleasantly calm May morning, Prof James Fishwick, PML’s head of marine technology and...

Events

39 h. ago The scientists warning the world about the ‘evil twin’ of the climate crisis affecting our oceans

There’s frustration among researchers that falling pH levels in seas around the globe are not being taken seriously enough, and that until the buildup of CO2 is addressed, the consequences for marine life will be devastatingRead more: ‘Ticking timebomb’: sea acidity has reached critical levels, threatening entire ecosystems – studyOn a clear day at Plymouth marina you can see across the harbour out past Drake’s Island – named after the city’s most famous son, Francis Drake – to the Channel. It’s quite often possible to see an abundance of marine vessels, from navy ships and passenger ferries to small fishing boats and yachts. What you might not spot from this distance is a large yellow buoy bobbing up and down in the water about six miles off the coast.This data buoy – L4 – is one of a number belonging to Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), a research centre in Devon dedicated to marine science. On a pleasantly calm May morning, Prof James Fishwick, PML’s head of marine technology and...

Events

39 h. ago How the ‘evil twin’ of the climate crisis is threatening our oceans

In seas around the world pH levels are falling – and scientists are increasingly frustrated that the problem is not being taken seriously enoughRead more: ‘Ticking timebomb’: sea acidity has reached critical levels, threatening entire ecosystems – studyOn a clear day at Plymouth marina you can see across the harbour out past Drake’s Island – named after the city’s most famous son, Francis Drake – to the Channel. It’s quite often possible to see an abundance of marine vessels, from navy ships and passenger ferries to small fishing boats and yachts. What you might not spot from this distance is a large yellow buoy bobbing up and down in the water about six miles off the coast.This data buoy – L4 – is one of a number belonging to Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), a research centre in Devon dedicated to marine science. On a pleasantly calm May morning, Prof James Fishwick, PML’s head of marine technology and autonomy, is on top of the buoy checking it for weather and other damage. “This...

Events

39 h. ago ‘Ticking timebomb’: sea acidity has reached critical levels, threatening entire ecosystems – study

Ocean acidification has already crossed a crucial threshold for planetary health, scientists say in unexpected findingMore on this story: The scientists warning the world about ocean acidification – ‘evil twin’ of the climate crisis The world’s oceans are in worse health than realised, scientists have said today, as they warn that a key measurement shows we are “running out of time” to protect marine ecosystems.Ocean acidification, often called the “evil twin” of the climate crisis, is caused when carbon dioxide is rapidly absorbed by the ocean, where it reacts with water molecules leading to a fall in the pH level of the seawater. It damages coral reefs and other ocean habitats and, in extreme cases, can dissolve the shells of marine creatures. Continue reading...

Events

54 h. ago Starmer aid cuts ‘threaten UK’s reputation and credibility’ abroad, Foreign Office admits

Exclusive: A government consultation found concerns about the UK’s credibility abroad after Keir Starmer’s foreign aid cuts

Events

56 h. ago Aid cuts will do irreversible damage, warns UN development chief

Outgoing UNDP head says funding reductions by US, UK and others will harm systems that took decades to build

Events

57 h. ago Voices: Why are we slashing foreign aid when it can help stop the boats?

A key part of an effective strategy is to reduce the incentives for people to climb into those boats in the first place – to offer a stick as well as a carrot, writes former immigration minister Damian Green

Politics

3 d. ago Government stalling in efforts to cut foreign aid spent on asylum seekers

The government has been accused of ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’, with aid organisations claiming ministers are in danger of a ‘reckless repeat’ of the previous Conservative government

Politics

3 d. ago ‘The US was our El Dorado’: Africans on Trump’s travel bans and taxes

Already affected by US aid cuts, many Africans now face limits on travel to US and looming remittance taxWhen Essi Farida Geraldo, a Lomé-based architect, heard about partial restrictions on travel to the US from Togo as part of the travel bans announced by Donald Trump on Thursday, she lamented losing access to what many young Togolese consider to be a land of better opportunities.“The United States was the Togolese’s El Dorado,” Geraldo said. “Many people go to work in the US to save money and support their families or projects in Africa This will force the country to really develop stronger partnerships that exclude the US.” Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Parenting in the climate crisis: how to raise kids who care about the environment

From acknowledging big emotions to finding ways to make climate action fun, it’s important to start where your kids areChange by Degrees offers life hacks and sustainable living tips each Saturday to help reduce your household’s carbon footprintGot a question or tip for reducing household emissions? Email us at changebydegrees@theguardian.comAlthough it’s unfair, it’s young people (and the generations to come) who will have to deal with fallout from the climate crisis. So how do you talk to young people about living sustainably and raise knowledgeable kids who care about the future of the planet?Here are some tips for engaging the next generation on the environment meaningfully. Continue reading...

Society

5 d. ago Rapid snowmelt and Trump cuts compound wildfire fears in US west

Region is experiencing an unusually warm spring, raising concerns of fierce wildfire season amid limited resourcesUnusually warm springtime temperatures have contributed to rapid reductions in snowpacks across the western US that rival the fastest rates on record, increasing concerns around wildfire season.The rapid snowmelt, in addition to reduced staffing and budget constraints initiated by the Trump administration, has set the stage for a particularly dangerous season across the west, according to an analysis of publicly available data by the Guardian and interviews with experts in the region. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Marine heatwave found to have engulfed area of ocean five times the size of Australia

World Meteorological Organization report says record heat in 2024 was driven by climate crisis and intersected with extreme weather eventsAlmost 40 million sq kilometres of ocean around south-east Asia and the Pacific – an area five times the size of Australia – was engulfed in a marine heatwave in 2024, a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report has revealed.WMO scientists said the record heat – on land and in the ocean – was mostly driven by the climate crisis and coincided with a string of extreme weather events, from deadly landslides in the Philippines to floods in Australia and rapid glacier loss in Indonesia. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Pennsylvania is suing the USDA over cutting funding to a $1 billion food aid program for states

Pennsylvania has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, saying the agency, under President Donald Trump, illegally cut off funding through a program designed to distribute more than $1 billion to states

Economics

6 d. ago The role water efficiency plays in a greener Scotland: Here’s how your business can save water and money

Given the climate crisis, increasing costs and the need to protect what is fast becoming a precious resource, Stephen Sheridan, Head of Account Management at Business Stream shares his insights into what businesses can do to reduce water use - and benefit from financial and environmental savings.

Economics

6 d. ago A moment that changed me: I saw my first wild water bear – and snapped out of my despair at the world

I was in anguish over the climate crisis, ecological devastation and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But this almost indestructible little creature gave me a lesson in resilienceLess than a millimetre in length, the squishy, transparent animal was completely unaware of my presence, my entire existence, while I watched it in awe. On my computer screen, where I gazed at the image generated by a cheap USB microscope, the water bear stumbled over grains of eroded rock and plant matter, an assemblage of soil, and I felt amused by its bumbling nature. Like someone trying to move through a field of beach balls, I thought.I had found this water bear, or tardigrade, in a clump of moss I collected during a wet and windy walk with our dog, Bernie, in late 2021. After changing into dry clothes, I rinsed the moss with water and removed the excess using coffee filter paper. Transferring the residue soil and stray moss leaves – known as phyllids – to a small glass bowl, I found the water bear within...

Politics

8 d. ago ‘We need new numbers’: Comedian David Cross cracks jokes to spread climate crisis awareness

The Emmy award winning comic teams up with renowed scientist Michael Oppenheimer for a new video campaignDavid Cross is many things: a famed comic, an Emmy award winner, and a New York Times bestseller. But he is not a climate scientist.That fact might make him the perfect person to communicate the urgency of global heating to mass audiences. Continue reading...

Events