28 h. ago ‘It’s Sellafield or nothing’: what life is like growing up in the shadow of Europe’s oldest nuclear site

Young people in Whitehaven on England’s north-west coast rely on the power plant for everything from jobs to civic investment. But for those who see their future elsewhere, options can be limitedShare your experiences of living in a coastal townPhotographs by Polly BradenIt is a rainy Thursday in Whitehaven on the north-west coast of England, but the seafront is buzzing with activity. This Saturday is Harbour Fest, a day of music, performance and activities. An array of colourful street food vendors are already setting up.It’s unusual to see such excitement on the seafront, says 18-year-old Lacey Ritson. Growing up, Lacey and her friends would gravitate to picturesque Saint Bees along the coast or the nearby Lake District if they wanted to spend time by the water. And sometimes, she says, “we’d sit by the river and look at people, guessing who worked at Sellafield – like, ‘they’ve got a nice car – they’re from Sellafield’”. Continue reading...

Events

45 h. ago Alan Partridge is back at rock bottom – and it’s the funniest he’s been in years

After stadium tour success, the delusional broadcaster is back where he belongs: self-funding a series about the nation’s mental health. As comedy goes, it couldn’t be more pleasurableLike anyone who has grown up in the shadow of Alan Partridge’s three-decade dominion over British comedy, I want only the very best for Norwich’s most relentless broadcaster. By which I mean the absolute worst. For me, Partridge is at his finest when he’s scrabbling around the media’s outer fringes, rebranding past humiliations as glories and furiously name-dropping 1980s television personalities to the nonplussed acquaintances he genuinely believes to be his closest friends.Sadly, Alan has been riding (relatively) high in recent years. In 2022, Steve Coogan’s creation – now co-written by Rob and Neil Gibbons – embarked on a UK arena tour as a motivational speaker, imparting dubious advice to tens of thousands of adoring fans. Before that, he landed the job of a lifetime: a presenting gig on the BBC’s ...

Politics

4 d. ago Nuclear disaster fears as expert highlights 'fragile' Zaporizhzhia power plant system

Europe's largest nuclear plant is on the brink of disaster if total power loss is achieved, with experts saying that it is a fragile situation that needs monitoring

Events

4 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: ‘Political will’ needed to restore external power to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, UN watchdog says

Rafael Grossi says ‘security situation’ around plant must improve for repairs to be carried out; French photojournalist Antoni Lallican killed by Russian drone strike. What we know on day 1,319See all our Ukraine war overageThe head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog said on Friday he was discussing proposals with Russia and Ukraine to restore off-site power to the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, calling it a “question of political will”. Europe’s largest nuclear power plant has been cut off from external power since 23 September, with the fuel in its reactors being cooled by emergency diesel generators. The International Atomic Energy Agency director general, Rafael Grossi, said: “Both sides say they stand ready to conduct the necessary repairs on their respective sides of the frontline. But for this to happen, the security situation on the ground must improve so that the technicians can carry out their vital work without endangering their lives.”French photojournalist Ant...

Events

5 d. ago Zelenskyy warns Russian drones endanger safety at Chernobyl and at Europe's biggest nuclear plant

Russia's continued attacks on Ukraine's power grid are raising concerns about nuclear safety

Events

7 d. ago Zelenskyy sounds alarm over unprecedented power outage at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Ukrainian president says Russian shelling is preventing work to restore links to grid and that one of the plant’s diesel generators has failedSee all our Ukraine war coverageUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday said the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has been off the grid for seven straight days, warning of the potential threat of a “critical” situation.It is the longest outage at Zaporizhzhia since Russia invaded and seized the nuclear plant, Europe’s largest. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Ukraine nuclear plant enters fifth day on emergency power as Zelenskyy announces $90B arms deal

Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant entered its fifth day running on emergency generators Saturday, creating mounting safety concerns at Europe’s largest nuclear facility

Economics

1 week ago WW3 fears skyrocket as key Putin ally issues stark nuclear warning to Europe

As tensions between Russia and NATO continue to rise due to Russian incursions into European airspace, a key ally to Putin has given a chilling warning that could kick off WW3

Events

1 week ago Vladimir Putin advisor says Russia 'must prepare to strike Europe with nuclear weapons'

As Russia continue to sow fear across the world, Vladimir Putin has been told by one of his leading counsellors Sergei Karaganov that going nuclear may be the only option

Events

3 w. ago Russia raises tensions with NATO as Putin shows off his battlefield nuclear weapons

One year ago this month, Putin outlined a revision of Moscow's nuclear doctrine

Events

3 w. ago Court rules Europe can call nuclear and natural gas sustainable investments for its green transition

A European Union court has ruled that nuclear energy and natural gas can be considered environmentally sustainable investments

Events

3 w. ago Trump or no Trump, Europe’s relationship with the US will never recover | Nathalie Tocci

Optimists cling to a faith in the old alliance, but the best we can achieve is an amicable divorceIs the transatlantic rupture temporary or structural? Is Donald Trump the cause of the rift, or is the US president only a symptom of underlying trends? Optimists latch on to the hope that the stability we have lost can be restored post-Trump. Having spent the past few days in Washington, I doubt it.Even in recent history, things were not quite so bad for the transatlantic relationship. The current tensions make the first Trump administration look like a walk in the park for Europeans. It is one thing to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, which Trump did in his first term. It is quite another to bomb Iran and give Israel the green light for its war against the regime.Nathalie Tocci is a Guardian Europe columnist Continue reading...

Politics

4 w. ago Liam Gallagher's son Gene swerves Oasis comparisons for his band's Supersonic debut single

Liam Gallagher's son Gene has launched his band Villanelle's debut single, Hinge. But the trio have avoided sounding like Oasis and mined a different 90s vibe for their own music - grunge. Gene admits growing up in Liam's shadow forced him to take his time before revealing his band's music. Villanelle tour in December.

Politics