40 m. ago Foreign Office issues warning for visitors to Spain, Turkey, Greece and Cyprus

The Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office has issued warnings about extreme heat in four countries

Events

49 m. ago Mutant Covid variant cases skyrocket in UK as new summer wave fears ramp up

A new mutant Covid strain has hit the UK and experts have warned it could become the new dominant variant across the country as its share of cases have skyrocketed in recent weeks

Events

54 m. ago Tesla’s EU sales slump continues; Eurostar services disrupted after ‘cable theft’ – business live

Six trains between London and Paris cancelled after theft of cables at Lille leave passengers strandedThe price of the world’s first malaria vaccine for children in endemic countries will be reduced by more than half, to less than $5, according to the drugmakers GSK and Bharat Biotech.The vaccine, called Mosquirix or RTS,S, was developed by GSK and the non-profit health organisation PATH, and was the first malaria vaccine to be recommended by the World Health Organization in October 2021. It is one of two malaria shots recommended by the WHO.“As an epidemiologist working in malaria vaccine development and delivery, I have seen the impact malaria vaccines are already having on children in high-burden regions of Africa. As a result of the collaboration between the research community in implementing endemic countries, industry, NGOs and multilateral organisations, the world’s first malaria vaccine is helping to reduce all-cause mortality and hospitalisations of severe malaria among chi...

Economics

81 m. ago Second study finds Uber used opaque algorithm to dramatically boost profits

US academics say computer code systematically raised fares at expense of drivers and passengersA second major academic institution has accused Uber of using opaque computer code to dramatically increase its profits at the expense of the ride-hailing app’s drivers and passengers.Research by academics at New York’s Columbia Business School concluded that the Silicon Valley company had implemented “algorithmic price discrimination” that had raised “rider fares and cut driver pay on billions of trips, systematically, selectively, and opaquely”. Continue reading...

Events

84 m. ago Thomas Muller rejects complaints over heat at Club World Cup: ‘No excuses’

Muller’s Bayern Munich slumped to a 1-0 defeat to Benfica in their final group game

Society

96 m. ago Warning shot for 2026: Club World Cup’s brutal heat exposes a World Cup risk

That the US gets hot in the summer is hardly breaking news. Even if it may not give any one team an advantage, it puts players, fans and officials at riskIn the 31 years since the United States last hosted the men’s World Cup, a few things remain unchanged.Recent politics notwithstanding, the US population is diverse and air travel is relatively easy, so international games tend to attract supporters no matter where they live. As long as ticket prices are reasonable, a good crowd is a good bet. Continue reading...

Events

2 h. ago This new biodegradable film could save 20 per cent on energy bills

Researchers say metafilm could be an alternative to air conditioning systems

Science

2 h. ago Power engineer shares 'correct' way to use fans cools rooms down much faster

Most UK homes are designed to keep the heat in which makes getting to sleep in the summer especially tricky - one expert has shared the right way to use a fan to help cool down a room much faster

Politics

2 h. ago I’m a queer Palestinian. Stop using my identity as cover for the destruction of Gaza | Jad Salfiti

Rightwingers in Israel and the US claim they are defending LGBTQ+ rights while Gaza’s people are killed. Don’t dare do this in our namePride has never been apolitical, but in recent years, particularly after the Israeli occupation’s onslaught on the Gaza Strip after 7 October 2023, the coalition of queer rights in the west has felt increasingly fractured.In Berlin, the city I call home, Pride events have splintered along political lines as Palestine has been a recurring point of contention. According to organisers of Internationalist Queer Pride Berlin (IQP Berlin), a split between two major alternative Pride events followed an incident in which the initial organisers called police to the event after participants expressed solidarity by chanting “free Palestine”. Meanwhile, at Berlin’s official Pride parade, attenders have previously waved rainbow and Israeli flags as they marched through Berlin alongside an Israeli embassy float.Jad Salfiti is a British-Palestinian video producer a...

Politics

2 h. ago Study casts doubt over theory that Stone Age Ireland was ruled by incestuous ‘god

Previous research suggested elites lived like other royal dynasties found in ancient Egypt or the Andes

Politics

3 h. ago Tesla’s EU sales slump continues; China’s premier warns global trade tensions ‘intensifying’ – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsShares in UK defence Babcock have surged 13% at the start of trading, after it upgraded its medium-term forecasts and hailed a ‘new era’ for defence (see earlier post).After several turbulent sessions, the financial markets seem calm this morning, as the Israel-Iran ceasefire holds.‘’Optimism about the fragile ceasefire holding between Iran and Israel has bubbled through markets, lifting equities, but more doubts are now creeping in about the truce holding.Wall Street rose in a relief wave, pushing the S&P 500 close to record highs. Sentiment has held up in Asia and European indices largely look set for a positive start to trading. Nevertheless, a little more uncertainty is seeping in. A leaked report from US Intelligence casting doubt on the effectiveness of the US strikes in crippling Tehran’s nuclear capabilities, has led to some worries that military action could resume. Continue reading...

Events

4 h. ago Spear and loathing: 20 years since tackle on Brian O’Driscoll that changed rugby

Mealamu and Umaga’s slam-dunking of the Lions captain was typical of the game’s wild west years but it proved a watershed – and the hurt still lingersBrian O’Driscoll is sick of talking about it. Tana Umaga says anyone still asking needs to put it behind them. But here we are, 20 years to the day since the tackle that ties them together – and people do still want to talk about it.That moment – in the first minute of the first Test of the Lions series against New Zealand – still pops up on TikTok and YouTube feeds, still sparks arguments on Reddit threads, still leads hour-long podcasts when players reminisce about how they saw it. And it still inspires articles like this one, long after the men involved have made up and moved on. Continue reading...

Politics

4 h. ago The Covid ‘lab leak’ theory isn’t just a rightwing conspiracy – pretending that’s the case is bad for science | Jane Qiu

While figures like Steve Bannon have exploited the issue, scientists have done themselves no favours by shutting down legitimate inquiryMore than five years after the Covid-19 pandemic was declared, its origins remain a subject of intense – and often acrimonious – debate among scientists and the wider public. There are two broad, competing theories. The natural-origins hypotheses suggest the pandemic began when a close relative of Sars-CoV-2 jumped from a wild animal to a human through the wildlife trade. In contrast, proponents of lab-leak theories argue that the virus emerged when Chinese scientists became infected through research-associated activities.A perplexing aspect of the controversy is that prominent scientists continue to publish studies in leading scientific journals that they say provide compelling evidence for the natural-origins hypotheses. Yet rather than resolving the issue, each new piece of evidence seems to widen the divide further.Jane Qiu is an award-winning i...

Politics

4 h. ago Scottish Widows owes it to the UK taxpayer to invest in British companies

The pension giant plans to cut its exposure to UK equities from 12% to 3%

Economics

5 h. ago ‘Yuck factor’: eating insects rather than meat to help the planet is failing, study finds

People are disgusted by the idea of eating bugs despite their lighter planetary cost compared to traditional livestockRecent efforts to encourage people to eat insects are doomed to fail because of widespread public disgust at the idea, making it unlikely insects will help people switch from the environmentally ruinous habit of meat consumption, a new study has found.Farming and eating insects has been touted in recent years as a greener alternative to eating traditional meat due to the heavy environmental toll of raising livestock, which is a leading driver of deforestation, responsible for more than half of global water pollution, and may cause more than a third of all greenhouse gases that can be allowed if the world is to avoid disastrous climate change, the new research finds. Continue reading...

Events

6 h. ago Researchers hail success of scheme to protect capercaillie chicks from predators

The findings have been welcomed

Science

7 h. ago Volunteers use the universal language of music to soothe stressed shelter animals

It is often said music is the universal language of humanity

Politics

7 h. ago Trump’s wavering on Nato defence pact casts pall over summit

US commitment to Article 5 ‘depends on your definition’, says president ahead of meeting with allies

Politics

8 h. ago Inside Jeff Bezos' lavish wedding as insiders spill every jaw

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are set to tie the knot on the obscure island of San Giovanni Evangelista in Venice amid three days of festivities this week

Politics

11 h. ago Terrifying new video shows 10ft waves after 'freak storm' shook Lake Tahoe leaving EIGHT dead

Eight lives were lost on the California side of Lake Tahoe when a sudden, violent storm struck without warning and capsized their boat.

Events