2 h. ago Week in wildlife: a baby echidna, a 600lb gator and an ‘unbearable’ bear

This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Trump and Melania tease upcoming proposal for kids at Congressional Ball: 'It's going to be great for children'

Speaking to the crowd ahead of the celebration, Melania unveiled a new initiative she has in the pipeline for 2026.

Politics

3 h. ago As the UK looks to invest in nuclear, here’s what it could mean for Britain’s environment

In this week’s newsletter: The government’s bid to speed up nuclear construction could usher in sweeping deregulation, with experts warning of profound consequences for nature• Don’t get Down to Earth delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereWhen UK prime minister Keir Starmer announced last week that he was “implementing the Fingleton review”, you can forgive the pulse of most Britons for failing to quicken.But behind the uninspiring statement lies potentially the biggest deregulation for decades, posing peril for endangered species, if wildlife experts are to be believed, and a likely huge row with the EU.2025 ‘virtually certain’ to be second- or third-hottest year on record, EU data showsJust 0.001% hold three times the wealth of the poorest half of humanity, report finds‘Even the animals seem confused’: a retreating Kashmir glacier is creating an entire new world in its wake Continue reading...

Events

4 h. ago Air passengers exposed to extremely high levels of ultrafine particle pollution, study finds

Levels during boarding and taxiing were far above those defined as high by the World Health OrganizationA study has revealed the concentrations of ultrafine particles breathed in by airline passengers.A team of French researchers, including those from Université Paris Cité, built a pack of instruments that was flown alongside passengers from Paris Charles de Gaulle to European destinations. The machinery was placed on an empty seat in the front rows or in the galley. Continue reading...

Politics

4 h. ago New update on scrapping Work Capability Assessments for DWP Universal Credit claims

The Department for Work and Pensions has announced plans to abolish the Work Capability Assessment (WCA), though timing and details are yet to be confirmed

Politics

5 h. ago If the US forces me to choose between my two nationalities, I choose France – and Europe | Alexander Hurst

Proposals to change US citizenship rules leaves dual citizens like me caught in the crossfire. If push comes to shove, I know where my loyalty lies Continue reading...

Politics

7 h. ago New free schools announced by the Tories to be junked by ministers

The Department for Education said that proposals for 28 out of 44 new free schools were likely to be junked following a review.

Politics

9 h. ago New free schools announced by the Tories to be junked my MPs

The Department for Education said that proposals for 28 out of 44 new free schools were likely to be junked following a review.

Politics

9 h. ago Changes to polar bear DNA could help them adapt to global heating, study finds

Scientists say bears in southern Greenland differ genetically to those in the north, suggesting they could adjustChanges in polar bear DNA that could help the animals adapt to warmer climates have been detected by researchers, in a study thought to be the first time a statistically significant link has been found between rising temperatures and changing DNA in a wild mammal species.Climate breakdown is threatening the survival of polar bears. Two-thirds of them are expected to have disappeared by 2050 as their icy habitat melts and the weather becomes hotter. Continue reading...

Politics

15 h. ago Critics detail concerns over proposed Chinese "super embassy" in London

Critics detail concerns over proposed Chinese "super embassy" in London  Yahoo

Politics

15 h. ago Senate rejects dual healthcare bills as Obamacare tax credits expiration nears

Votes came as premium tax credits for estimated 21.8 million enrollees of plans set to expire at end of monthThe US Senate on Thursday rejected competing proposals to address the imminent expiration of subsidies for Affordable Care Act health insurance plans, greatly increasing the chances that healthcare costs will soon rise to unaffordable levels for millions of Americans.The votes, part of a deal brokered between Republican majority leader John Thune and the Democratic senators who agreed to reopen the government after a historically long shutdown last month, came as premium tax credits for an estimated 21.8 million enrollees of the plans are set to expire at the end of the month. Health policy research group KFF estimates that annual premiums will more than double if the subsidies are allowed to expire. Continue reading...

Politics

16 h. ago The Guardian view on Labour’s new peerages: another boost for the ermine arms race | Editorial

Sir Keir Starmer promised to bring meaningful reform to the House of Lords. He is failing to introduce itIn opposition, Sir Keir Starmer called the unelected House of Lords “indefensible”. This week, barely 18 months into his prime ministership, Sir Keir took the total of unelected peers he has appointed since July 2024 to 96. Remarkably, Wednesday’s 34 new life peerages, mainly Labour supporters, take his appointment total above those of each of his four most recent Conservative predecessors. You must go back to David Cameron to find a prime minister who did more to stuff the Lords than Sir Keir.At the last election, Labour presented itself to the voters as a party of Lords reform. The party manifesto promised to remove the remaining hereditary peers, to reform the appointments process, to impose a peers’ retirement age, and to consult on proposals for replacing the Lords with an alternative second chamber. The House of Lords, the manifesto flatly declared, was “too big”....

Politics

16 h. ago Trump pushes for ‘free economic zone’ in Donbas, says Zelenskyy

US proposes ‘compromise’ option of demilitarised buffer that excludes both Ukrainian and Russian forces, says Kyiv

Politics

16 h. ago Zelensky says the people of Ukraine will have to vote on handing land over to Russia in any US peace proposal

Zelenksy said at a briefing today: 'Whether through elections or a referendum, there must be a position from the people of Ukraine'.

Politics

17 h. ago Huge illegal waste site that keeps growing on beauty spot landscape is probed by the Environment Agency

Basser Hill, near Sittingbourne in Kent, has joined a growing number of massive illegal dumping grounds harming nature and the countryside.

Events

17 h. ago Football and concert prices to 'soar' thanks to proposed hikes in policing costs

Industry chiefs are warning that football and music fans will be the ones who end up losing out if plans to make organisers pay more go ahead

Economics

18 h. ago ‘Censorship pure and simple’: critics hit out at Trump plan to vet visitors’ social media

Some warn proposal will decimate US tourism industry as free speech advocates say it will lead to people self-censoringFree speech advocates have accused Donald Trump of “shredding civil liberties” and “censorship pure and simple” after the White House said it planned to require visa applicants from dozens of countries to provide social media, phone and email histories for vetting before being allowed into the US.In a move that some commentators compared to China and others warned would decimate tourism to the US, including the 2026 Fifa World Cup, the Department for Homeland Security said it was planning to apply the rules to visitors from 42 countries, including the UK, Ireland, Australia, France, Germany and Japan, if they want to enter the US on the commonly used Esta visa waiver. Continue reading...

Politics

19 h. ago West Lothian schoolkids missing out on swim assessments due to lack of basic kit

A new initiative between West Lothian Leisure and swimwear manufacturer Zoggs aims to fix that.

Events

19 h. ago Economic growth no longer linked to carbon emissions in most of the world, study finds

Analysis marking 10 years since Paris climate agreement underscores effectiveness of strong government policiesThe once-rigid link between economic growth and carbon emissions is breaking across the vast majority of the world, according to a study released ahead of Friday’s 10th anniversary of the Paris climate agreement.The analysis, which underscores the effectiveness of strong government climate policies, shows this “decoupling” trend has accelerated since 2015 and is becoming particularly pronounced among major emitters in the global south. Continue reading...

Economics

20 h. ago Takeaways from AP’s report on potential impacts of Alaska’s proposed Ambler Access Road

A proposed mining road in Northwest Alaska has sparked debate amid climate change impacts

Politics