6 h. ago New draft of plastic pollution treaty would not limit plastic production

Negotiators working on a treaty to address the global crisis of plastic pollution are discussing a new draft of the text that would not limit plastic production or address chemicals used in plastic products

Politics

9 h. ago Soap, wristbands and scaling the UN: People get creative during final plastic pollution treaty talks

A Swiss ocean protection group is handing out bars of soap to negotiators working on a global accord to end plastic pollution

Sport

10 h. ago Major crackdown on fake Labubu dolls: Urgent warning over 'unsafe' counterfeit collectables flooding UK market with thousands of toys seized across Britain

Labubu dolls have become a global sensation amongst children, teenagers and even the like of major celebrities from Kim Kardashian to Rihanna.

Events

34 h. ago Groups seek to influence plastic pollution treaty talks at the UN as negotiations wind down

Environmentalists and Indigenous leaders held signs in front of the United Nations buildings in Geneva where talks for a global accord to end plastic pollution are taking place

Politics

35 h. ago Thousands evacuated in Spain amid deadly wildfires and new heatwave

Temperatures of 44C predicted as blazes rage across EuropeEurope live – latest updatesAlmost 6,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in northern, central and southern Spain as wildfires continue to burn amid a heatwave that could bring temperatures of 44C to some parts of the country.The deadly heat across large parts of Europe has created what scientists have called a “molotov cocktail” of climatic conditions that is fuelling vast wildfires. Continue reading...

Events

53 h. ago John Swinney accused of hitting 'independence panic button' over child poverty

Michael Marra said the SNP leader was "once again shamelessly attempting to shift the blame from his own government’s failures".

Events

57 h. ago Artist drowns sculpture in plastic waste in front of the UN during plastic pollution treaty talks

As nations began a second week of negotiations Monday for a global accord to end plastic pollution, an artist heaped piles of plastic waste onto a large sculpture in front of the United Nations office

Events

57 h. ago Southern Europe swelters under deadly heatwave as temperatures pass 40C

Scientists warn of ‘molotov cocktail’ of climatic conditions fuelling vast wildfires across MediterraneanDeadly heat of up to 42C is searing southern Europe, as scientists warn of a “molotov cocktail” of climatic conditions that is fuelling vast wildfires across the Mediterranean.Météo-France placed more than half the country under heatwave warnings on Monday morning, with 12 out of 96 administrative units on the mainland under the highest red alert, while Spain’s Aemet warned of “extreme danger” in Zaragoza and the Basque Country as it issued yellow and orange warnings for almost all the rest of the country. Continue reading...

Events

4 d. ago ‘The ocean is spitting our rubbish back’: Italy’s museum of plastic pollution

Faded items dating back to 1950s have been found on Italian beaches, underscoring plastic’s problematic longevityEnzo Suma, a naturalist guide, has always picked up rubbish during his walks along Carovigno beach, a stretch of coastline lapped by clear blue waters close to his home in Salento, an area of Puglia in the heel of Italy’s boot.During one walk, Suma, 44, spotted a washed-up bottle of Ambre Solaire sunscreen. He was about to throw it away when he noticed something unusual: the price printed on the bottle was in lire, meaning it must have been produced before the euro replaced the lira in Italy. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago John Leguizamo brands Superman actor Dean Cain a ‘moron’ over ICE announcement

Emmy-winning star of films such as ‘John Wick’ and ‘Moulin Rouge!’ hit out at the former Superman actor after he urged his followers to join Trump’s immigration crackdown

Politics

5 d. ago Sir Chris Hoy: Cyclist and wife Sarra Hoy hold 'important first' meeting with John Swinney at Bute House

Sir Chris Hoy and John Swinney have both spoken after holding a meeting at the First Minister’s official Edinburgh residence Bute House.

Politics

5 d. ago First Minister John Swinney meets Sir Chris Hoy at prostate cancer roundtable

The champion cyclist was diagnosed with the disease last year before finding out it was terminal.

Politics

5 d. ago John Swinney blasts Gaza takeover plan by Israeli government as 'utterly unacceptable'

The First Minister spoke out amid growing international condemnation of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Politics

5 d. ago John Swinney's 'completely unacceptable' comment over Gaza City occupation plan under Benjamin Netanyahu

John Swinney and Sir Keir Starmer have both spoken out about the decisions taken by Israel’s war cabinet under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Events

7 d. ago Labour blasts John Swinney for 'peddling myth' that only SNP can defeat Reform at Holyrood election

The SNP leader previously warned only his party could defeat Reform at the Hamilton by-election - only for Labour to then claim victory in South Lanarkshire.

Politics

7 d. ago Donald Trump left 'deeply touched' after receiving 'unique' gift from John Swinney

EXCLUSIVE: The First Minister told a Fringe audience in Edinburgh that the US President "made it abundantly clear to me that he absolutely adores Scotland".

Politics

7 d. ago Increase in vapes found on Britain’s coastline by beach clean volunteers

Marine Conservation Society calls for swift action as its litter surveys show some forms of plastic are on the riseVolunteer beach cleaners are finding more vapes than ever before as plastic pollution chokes Britain’s coastline.The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) on Wednesday launches its annual beach clean, which last year involved more than 15,000 volunteers who completed more than 1,200 litter surveys. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago John Swinney admits his wife is 'struggling a bit' as he opens up on balancing family life with politics

The First Minister told an audience at the Edinburgh Fringe he was "very sorry" Kate Forbes was quitting Holyrood - but said he "totally understood" her situation.

Politics

8 d. ago The Guardian view on plastic pollution: global action is desperately needed to deal with this scourge | Editorial

Delegates at UN treaty talks must not allow negotiations to be derailed again by fossil fuel interestsPlastic pollution has reached the most remote and inaccessible parts of our beleaguered planet. It has been found in Greenland’s ice cap, near the summit of Mount Everest, and in the deepest depths of the western Pacific Ocean. Nature programmes have sounded the alarm over a human-made crisis that has become an environmental scourge and a serious threat to our health. Yet global production of plastics is on course to triple to more than a billion tonnes a year by 2060, after increasing by more than 200 times over the past 75 years.This gloomy backdrop should inject a sense of urgency into UN-convened talks in Switzerland this week, aimed at agreeing a binding global plastics treaty. In 2022, when 173 countries committed to work towards such an accord, there was widespread relief that at last a multilateral route was to be taken towards solving a quintessentially global problem. Sadl...

Economics

8 d. ago UN plastic pollution talks must result in ambitious treaty, leading expert says

Professor Richard Thompson, a marine litter expert, says delegates must act decisively to ‘look next generation in the eye’Delegates at the UN plastic pollution treaty talks in Geneva must secure an ambitious global agreement so they can look future generations in the eye, one of the world’s leading marine litter experts has said.Prof Richard Thompson, who was named one of Time’s 100 most influential people this year for his groundbreaking work on plastic pollution, said decisive action was needed to protect human health and the planet. Continue reading...

Politics