8 h. ago ‘The land will be left as ashes’: why Patagonia’s wildfires are almost impossible to stop

Funding cuts, conspiracy theories and ‘powder keg’ pine plantations have seen January’s forest fires tear through Chubut in southern Argentina Lucas Chiappe had known for a long time that the fire was coming. For decades, the environmentalist had warned that replacing native trees in the Andes mountain range with highly flammable foreign pine was a recipe for disaster.In early January, flames raced down the Pirque hill and edged closer to his home in the Patagonian town of Epuyén, Argentina, where he had lived since the 1970s. Thirty people with six motor pumps fought for hours, hoses stretched for kilometres, but “there was no way”. Continue reading...

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8 h. ago Edinburgh Zoo welcomes trio of energetic female king penguins for first time in decade

The trio of female penguins have now been introduced to the four male penguins.

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4 d. ago Watch as new chimp Babsie joins the troop at Edinburgh Zoo and settles in to her new surroundings

Edinburgh Zoo has welcomed a new member to its chimpanzee troop.

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5 d. ago The iconic 'Jumanji House' in Sydney hit the market for the first time in 40 YEARS

For the first time in four decades, locals and buyers can now see what's hiding behind the leaves of this enchanting property, nestled in the prestigious suburb of North Sydney.

Events

5 d. ago ‘We want to make jacket potatoes sexy again!’: how the humble spud became a fast food sensation

After Spudulike closed in 2024, the reign of the jacket potato seemed over in the UK. But now the favourite is back, piled with new toppings, sold by new companies and promoted all over social media by potato influencersThey were once a lunch option that inspired little excitement – but the jacket potato’s time has finally come. After decades in epicurean exile, the humble spud has made a roaring comeback in the UK and piqued the interest of foodies across the world. A-listers, tourists and trend-hopping teenagers are queueing for hours to get their hands on them. For Jacob Nelson, who sells loaded spuds that have gone super-viral on social media, this was all part of the plan. “We thought: how can we make the jacket potato sexy again?” he says.The 30-year-old, who runs SpudBros with his brother Harley and dad Tony, was among the first crop of social-media savvy spud vendors to give the jacket potato a much-needed makeover. After a slow start in lockdown, the brothers spoke to some ...

Politics

5 d. ago US government warns it will take action if Haitian politicians destabilize country

The U.S. has warned the transitional council in charge of Haiti against making changes to the troubled country’s government, as pressure mounts for the unelected body to move toward elections for the first time in a decade

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6 d. ago Middle powers assemble? Trump disorder prompts talk of new liberal alliances

As Mark Carney, Emmanuel Macron and Ursula von der Leyen decide ‘to live in truth’, what will it take for Starmer to call out Trump?Davos live – latest updatesDonald Trump has told the Davos economic forum “without us, most countries would not even work”, but for the first time in decades, many western leaders have come to the opposite conclusion: they will function better without the US.Individually and collectively, they have decided “to live in truth” – the phrase used by the Czech dissident Vaclav Havel and referenced by the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, in his widely praised speech at Davos on Tuesday. They will no longer pretend the US is a reliable ally, or even that the old western alliance exists. Continue reading...

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6 d. ago Celeb Traitors’ Cat Burns wears a tight top for first time in decades to show off results of breast reduction

CAT Burns has shown off her figure in a tight top for the first time in decades after having a breast reduction. The Celebrity Traitors star took the plunge and had the operation last week, after years of struggling with her larger chest. And in a new TikTok video, the 25-year-old singer delightedly donned a...

Events

7 d. ago ‘There’s nothing I’ve regretted doing’. Succession's Brian Cox is back on stage for the Edinburgh Festival

The Dundonian actor talks about a life well lived as he return to the Scottish stage for the first time in a decade as Adam Smith in Fred Goodwin satire Make It Happen

Politics

7 d. ago Water companies face biggest overhaul in a generation as new regulator unveiled

A chief engineer will also sit inside the new water regulator for the first time in two decades

Politics

1 week ago Mark Carney in China positions Canada for ‘the world as it is, not as we wish it’

PM’s visit to Beijing seen as a welcome reset to relations in a ‘new world order’ but critics worry what trade deal could mean for Canadian workersMark Carney’s trip to Beijing this week secured what he described as a “preliminary but landmark” trade deal and a recognition – welcomed by Beijing – that countries are operating in a “new world order”.Carney’s visit is the first time in nearly a decade that a Canadian prime minister has been welcomed in Beijing. It comes after years of a deep freeze in the relationship between Ottawa and Beijing that Carney wants to thaw, in order to reduce his country’s precarious reliance on the United States. Continue reading...

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1 week ago Head of UK’s Serious Fraud Office retires halfway through tenure

Nick Ephgrave will leave the role in March saying ‘time is right to hang up the handcuffs’ after decades of public service

Politics

1 week ago Ballykissangel returning to UK TV screens for first time in a decade

The Nineties phenomenon dealt with off-screen tragedy and a very high profile romance between its stars

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1 week ago Ballykissangel is BACK as beloved comedy returns to screens for first time in ten years

Iconic BBC drama Ballykissangel is returning to screens for the first time in over a decade - with all 58 episodes of the Northern Ireland based series free to view.

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2 w. ago Fatboy Slim and Myles Smith among artists announced for BRITs Week 2026

It comes ahead of the 2026 BRITs, which will see the awards move out of London for the first time in its five-decade history and head to Manchester

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2 w. ago New caterer promises ‘sense of culinary adventure and discovery’ at Edinburgh Zoo

“We want to provide visitors to Edinburgh Zoo with the very best experience” – Ben Supple, RZSS

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2 w. ago Natural resources encourage a brutish, competitive spirit, says ALEX BRUMMER

For the third time in a decade, Britain's grand old mining champion Rio Tinto is seeking to do a deal with upstart Glencore to create a near-£200billion mining and metal trading giant.

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2 w. ago ALEX BRUMMER: Natural resources encourage a brutish, competitive spirit

For the third time in a decade, Britain's grand old mining champion Rio Tinto is seeking to do a deal with upstart Glencore to create a near-£200billion mining and metal trading giant.

Politics

2 w. ago Aberdeen v Rangers injury news: 7 out as Danny Rohl welcomes back defender but faces anxious wait on key trio

Here is the latest team news ahead of Aberdeen v Rangers in the Scottish Premiership at Pittodrie on Sunday.

Events

3 w. ago Majestic Smith passes Hobbs to leave only Bradman clear on top of Ashes mountain | Geoff Lemon

The great Australian batter was typically twitchy before passing his latest personal milestone in SydneyThere was a time, while Steve Smith was at the height of his batting prowess, when “best since Bradman” was used with confidence. The thing about that line is that even when the recipient has dominated for years, it gets applied too quickly, given the point of comparison is a career-lasting two decades. Lots of players reach the top for a time, no other has stayed as long. Smith was untouchable for six years before returning to the realm of the merely very good.The combination of those phases, though, took him to a rare position on the third day of the fifth Test in Sydney. In the statistics of the game there are milestones, then there are mountaintops. For a long time in Smith’s Ashes-heavy career there have been two peaks gradually drawing closer in the mist. Donald Bradman’s 5,028 runs against England is one that even Smith will never climb. Jack Hobbs’s 3,636 runs against Aust...

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