51 m. ago How Russia is risking nuclear catastrophe with attempts to syphon power from Ukraine’s biggest plant

The exiled mayor of Enerhodar, close to Ukraine’s biggest nuclear power station fears tells Sam Kiley in Zaporizhzhia he is afraid of an ecological catastrophe

Events

4 h. ago How a radical experiment to bring a forest into a preschool transformed children’s health

In Finland, kindergartens are exposing children to more mud, wild plants and moss - and finding changes to their health that show how crucial biodiversity is to wellbeingAurora Nikula, 5, is having a normal day at her nursery. She is making a cake out of sand and mud, adding in make-believe carrots, potatoes and meat. “It’s overcooked,” she says as she splashes water in, then adds another dollop of sand. “More sugar, it tastes better,” she says. A handful of mud goes in, and the dish evolves into a chocolate cake.Aki Sinkkonen, a principal scientist with the Natural Resources Institute Finland, is watching. He’s also very interested in Aurora’s cake, but for different reasons. “Perfect,” he says, admiring the way she is mixing soil, sand and leaves and then putting it on her face. “She’s really getting her hands in it.”Aki Sinkkonen (left) and Marja Roslund from the Natural Resources Institute Finland in the Humpula garden Continue reading...

Society

13 h. ago England vs Australia live: Bronze scores birthday goal to cement Lionesses dominance in friendly

England knocked Australia out of the World Cup in 2023 to deny them glory on home soil

Politics

13 h. ago Gio Reyna deflects blame for USMNT controversy, aims for World Cup return

USMNT midfielder has struggled with injuries for yearsOffseason move to Mönchengladbach hasn’t paid off yetGio Reyna went into the 2022 World Cup as one of United States’ brightest young stars. Controversy over his training effort and a family conflict with the team’s then-coach overshadowed his performances.A World Cup on US soil next year is a guiding light for the 22-year-old Reyna to revive a career dogged by injuries. Continue reading...

Politics

15 h. ago Animals hibernate, plants too. Is there benefit for humans ditching daylight saving time?

As far as we know, humans are the only species that choose to fight against our biological presets

Economics

16 h. ago Prune these 4 vital plants now and get your best garden ever next spring

It's important to prune certain plants in October to encourage healthy growth and abundant blooms next year - and there are some varieties that need to be trimmed now

Politics

17 h. ago Bake Off star 'couldn't stop crying' after finding teen's remains on new show

An ex-Bake Off presenter has fronted a new Channel 4 series where she is looking to uncover the history buried beneath Britain's soil.

Politics

17 h. ago England vs Australia live: Matildas out for revenge in friendly after World Cup heartbreak

England knocked Australia out of the World Cup in 2023 to deny them glory on home soil

Politics

17 h. ago Hundreds of Scots waiting five years for initial gender identity appointment

Figures published by Public Health Scotland have highlighted a five-year wait for an initial first appointment with a gender identity clinic

Politics

17 h. ago 'I was King Charles' gardener and you need to put coffee in your garden for best hydrangeas ever'

Former Royal gardener Jack Stooks has revealed a simple yet surprising hack that could transform your plants — and the ingredient is probably already in your cupboard.

Politics

17 h. ago ExxonMobil fined £176,000 over flaring at petrochemical plant

The flaring at a facility in Fife happened in 2019.

Economics

19 h. ago Chernobyl nuclear power plant's radioactive ruins turns dogs mysterious bright blue colour

Almost 40 years on the world's worst-ever nuclear accident, animals still roam the exclusion zone that remains off limits to humans - but some of the 700 dogs now have blue fur

Events

20 h. ago Trump who has long promoted America First tells US troops to buy Japanese

Trump told U.S. soldiers to buy the Japanese cars following news that Toyota is set to invest $10 billion to build manufacturing plants in America

Politics

20 h. ago A strange brew: the case of the man behind an audacious Scottish tea fraud

A charismatic, tweed-wearing grower from Perthshire falsely claimed to be able to create thriving tea plantations in Scotland. His elaborate deception took in luxury hotels, media outlets and tea growers across the countryWith its large silver pouch, artistic label and delicate leaves, Dalreoch Scottish white tea might be expected to grace elegant cups with saucers, perhaps with a scone served on the side. Instead, it is nestled with an array of numbered polythene packets in a room just off a laboratory at the University of Aberdeen.This is not an ordinary afternoon tea but evidence in a crime that science helped solve. Continue reading...

Politics

23 h. ago Houseplant clinic: what’s wrong with the leaves on my rubber plant?

Dropped leaves and speckled dots indicate a thrips infestation. Luckily, there is plenty you can do about itWhat’s the problem? The leaves of my 40-year-old rubber plant are speckled with tiny black dots, turning yellow, and many are dropping off. New shoots are still growing, but the older leaves continue to fall.Diagnosis The black dots you’re seeing are most likely thrips droppings. These tiny insects puncture the leaf surface to drain sap, resulting in silvery streaks, mottled patches, curling and eventual leaf drop. They thrive in warm, dry conditions and are easily introduced when plants are moved outdoors. Once inside, they spread rapidly, particularly on mature, leafy specimens. Their damage is often mistaken for nutrient deficiencies or sun scorch, but the telltale sign is the combination of silvery streaks with tiny black specks. Continue reading...

Politics

25 h. ago The truth behind the ‘three sisters’ veg gardening technique – and if you should do it

Planting the original ‘three sisters’ veg – climbing beans, sweetcorn and squash

Politics

25 h. ago What is the ‘three sisters’ growing method and does it work?

This ancient companion planting technique may help fruit and vegetable growers who are short of space.

Politics

26 h. ago In Waves and War review – Navy Seals battle PTSD with psychedelic therapy

Sombre documentary sees US soldiers give brave testimony while undergoing ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT treatment to confront their traumasA gaggle of former US Navy Seals open up about their post-traumatic stress in this absorbing if somewhat formulaic documentary by Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen. Ultimately, it is something of an advertisement for a new therapeutic protocol that involves the veterans taking the hallucinogens ibogaine (derived from an African shrub) and 5-MeO-DMT (derived, like something out of a William S Burroughs novel, from a river toad); a treatment that, to hear the subjects here describe it, can work miracles on the battle-scarred, suicidal minds of its users. Currently, the treatment is only available at a Mexican clinic because the drugs have not been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration, but a bunch of boffins connected to Stanford University’s Brain Stimulation Lab are studying its clinical effects and the film works hard to make everything look as legit ...

Events

28 h. ago ‘DeepSeek is humane. Doctors are more like machines’: my mother’s worrying reliance on AI for health advice

Tired of a two-day commute to see her overworked doctor, my mother turned to tech for help with her kidney disease. She bonded with the bot so much I was scared she would refuse to see a real medicThis essay was originally published on Rest of worldEvery few months, my mother, a 57-year-old kidney transplant patient who lives in a small city in eastern China, embarks on a two-day journey to see her doctor. She fills her backpack with a change of clothes, a stack of medical reports and a few boiled eggs to snack on. Then, she takes a 90-minute ride on a high-speed train and checks into a hotel in the eastern metropolis of Hangzhou.At 7am the next day, she lines up with hundreds of others to get her blood taken in a long hospital hall that buzzes like a crowded marketplace. In the afternoon, when the lab results arrive, she makes her way to a specialist’s clinic. She gets about three minutes with the doctor. Maybe five, if she’s lucky. He skims the lab reports and quickly types a new ...

Society

29 h. ago Trial of a California woman who stole chickens puts slaughter houses in national spotlight

A California woman on trial for taking four chickens from one of Perdue Farms’ major poultry plants has put animal treatment at slaughter houses in the national spotlight as the defense argues she rescued the birds from abuse

Politics