3 h. ago China’s crackdown on lavish civil servant perks will ‘harm’ the economy, experts warn

Updated regulations ban the country’s 40 million civil servants from lavish banquets, and restrict them from overseas travel for ‘personal leisure’Adjacent to a municipal government building in Beijing, a normally bustling restaurant is now eerily quiet, at lunchtime most of its seats are empty.The recent crackdown on civil servants frequenting restaurants – part of a government austerity drive intended to crack down on corruption – has likely affected business and caused liquor sales to plummet, admits one waitress who works in the opulent establishment. Continue reading...

Events

5 h. ago Experts warn that progress in cancer survival rates is ‘slowing’

The study, led by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and funded by Cancer Research UK, analysed long-term trends in the cancer survival index (CSI)

Events

5 h. ago £13m scheme boosts rare wildlife but experts warn ‘time running out’ for nature

Rare species from water voles to adders across England have been helped with cash from the Species Recovery Programme’s capital grants scheme.

Events

9 h. ago Listed office building in Welsh town now being sold as £400,000 house

Planning permission to change the use of the historic building was granted last year

Society

9 h. ago Row breaks out as Sadiq Khan says knife crime has fallen in London

London mayor says ‘still a long way to go’ as he highlights fall in crime in recent figures - but critics target long term trend of a rise in knife offences in London

Events

10 h. ago Man 'is smothered to death after "obese" wife trips, falls onto him and can't get back up'

The unnamed victim, 59, who has been described in local media as being slight in build, died in his home in the residential district of Campanha on the outskirts of Porto.

Events

10 h. ago Knife crime and other offences fall in London, says Sir Sadiq Khan

Knife crime and other offences fall in London, says Sir Sadiq Khan  BBC

Events

10 h. ago 'Very high' wildfire warning issued by fire chiefs as sizzling heatwave continues

The vast majority of wildfires are started by human behaviour and the SFRS is urging communities to avoid lighting fires and using naked flames while this warning is in place.

Events

11 h. ago Thousands evacuated in Spain as deadly heatwave fans Mediterranean wildfires

Boy, four, dies of heatstroke in Rome as scientists say high temperatures and fires are reminder of climate emergencyThe deadly heatwave fanning wildfires across the Mediterranean region has claimed at least three lives and forced thousands of people from their homes.Firefighters continued to battle blazes on Tuesday and authorities braced for further damage as temperatures in some areas surged well past 40C. In Spain, a Romanian man in his 50s died after suffering 98% burns while trying to rescue horses from a burning stable near Madrid on Monday night. Continue reading...

Events

13 h. ago Experts reveal why new build homes aren't able to cope with summer heat as Britain hits 34C

Eco measures put in place to keep properties insulated are being blamed on turning them into sweltering boxes during the summer.

Society

14 h. ago Builders told to bring their own biscuits to jobs by 'tight' homeowners

Builders doing jobs for homeowners can continue to expect up to three brews a day, but should bring their own biccies. Almost half of Brits asked reckon tradespeople should bring their own snacks

Society

16 h. ago Dear Britain, it’s now clear: 20mph zones save lives and don’t slow traffic. Implement them | Sadiq Khan

There is too much bluff and bluster on this subject. Ordinary people just want safe streets for themselves and those they love, and we can achieve thatEvery 17 minutes. That’s how often someone is killed or seriously injured in a collision on the UK’s roads. Each and every one of these accidents brings an unbearable loss: for family and friends left mourning the loved ones who have been cruelly stolen from them, and survivors whose injuries can change their lives for ever. When we talk about how we make our roads safer, it’s easy to get distracted by bluff and bluster. But, every time we do, we lose sight of the most important fact: traffic accidents took over 1,600 lives last year, and we have the power to reduce and prevent them.Take speed limits. Rigorous new research published by Transport for London shows the number of people killed or seriously injured on London borough roads reduced by 34% following the implementation of 20mph speed limits, with the number of children killed ...

Politics

18 h. ago FIREBALLS hit Spain as wildfires spark freak 'fire whirls' and reach Madrid, killing one person as Europe's heatwave hell continues

Extreme heat and strong winds in Spain caused 'fire whirls' on Monday night, as a hellish blaze burned several houses and forced the evacuation of hundreds of people, killing one person in the capital. 

Events

18 h. ago Thousands evacuated in Spain amid deadly wildfires and new heatwave

Temperatures of 44C predicted as blazes rage across EuropeEurope live – latest updatesAlmost 6,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in northern, central and southern Spain as wildfires continue to burn amid a heatwave that could bring temperatures of 44C to some parts of the country.The deadly heat across large parts of Europe has created what scientists have called a “molotov cocktail” of climatic conditions that is fuelling vast wildfires. Continue reading...

Events

22 h. ago London set for sweltering 34C heatwave today as experts warn of a water shortage

The capital will see some of the hottest temperatures in the UK amid its fourth heatwave of the summer

Events

23 h. ago ‘Do not buy these flats’: residents warn about unbearable heat inside London new

Experts say many new homes being built in the UK not designed to withstand extreme summer temperaturesLow-income and minority ethnic people in England most at risk from dangerously hot homesWhy UK housing is dangerously unprepared for impact of climate crisisFrom shutters to reflective paint: how to prevent UK homes overheatingThe sweltering conditions inside Leaside Lock, a new-build development in east London, are hardly a secret. Last June, a warning written in big, capital letters was stuck to the window of one flat. “DO NOT BUY THESE FLATS. TOO HOT,” it read.It was hard to miss for those walking past the looming high-rises and, after being snapped and posted on social media, the placard has garnered more than 500,000 views. More than a year on, during a summer when the UK recorded its second warmest June and fifth hottest July since 1884, residents say heat is still an issue. Continue reading...

Events

28 h. ago Boy, 4, dies on family holiday as heatwave sweeps Europe sparking wildfires

The tragic four-year-old boy died from heatstroke after leaving the holiday house his family were staying in

Events

29 h. ago Thousands of men with prostate cancer facing unnecessary overtreatment, experts warn

Experts suggest ‘outdated guidelines’ around prostate cancer have created a ‘wild west’ of what is implemented in the NHS

Events

30 h. ago Child, 4, dies on Italy holiday as heatwave sweeps Europe sparking wildfires

The boy, just four, from Romania was on holiday with his parents in Sardinia when he was discovered unconscious in the family car - he suffered fatal brain damage

Events

32 h. ago Canada wildfire season already second worst on record as experts warn of ‘new reality’

More than 470 Canadian fires classified as ‘out of control’ as scientists say climate change exacerbating the burningWith hundreds of wildfires burning out of control, Canada’s 2025 fire season is already the second-worst on record, as scientists report climate change is prolonging and exacerbating the burning, leading to more destruction, evacuations and smoke-filled skies.More than 470 fires across the country are currently classified as “out of control”, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC). Continue reading...

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