12 h. ago ‘The land will be left as ashes’: why Patagonia’s wildfires are almost impossible to stop

Funding cuts, conspiracy theories and ‘powder keg’ pine plantations have seen January’s forest fires tear through Chubut in southern Argentina Lucas Chiappe had known for a long time that the fire was coming. For decades, the environmentalist had warned that replacing native trees in the Andes mountain range with highly flammable foreign pine was a recipe for disaster.In early January, flames raced down the Pirque hill and edged closer to his home in the Patagonian town of Epuyén, Argentina, where he had lived since the 1970s. Thirty people with six motor pumps fought for hours, hoses stretched for kilometres, but “there was no way”. Continue reading...

Events

14 h. ago Removing US as World Cup host would be eminently sad – and entirely justified | Alexander Abnos

A country where safety is under threat from federal violence on the streets is not fit to stage soccer’s showpiece eventRemoving the United States as co-host of the 2026 World Cup would hurt for pretty much everyone. Fans would miss out on seeing the sport’s pinnacle in their home towns (or somewhere nearby). Cities and businesses small and large would lose the financial benefits they had banked on. It would be a logistical and political nightmare on an international scale, the likes of which have never been seen before in sports. It would be eminently sad. And it would be entirely justified.It brings me no pleasure to say this. The United States has been eager to host a men’s World Cup for more than a decade and a half. The desire survived and even grew after 2010’s failure to out-bid Russia and Qatar (in public and behind closed doors) for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. With hosting rights for 2026 later secured alongside Canada and Mexico, the US soccer scene prepared to show off ...

Politics

15 h. ago Keir Starmer warned 'do not get naked' and 'change in bed' as Chinese spies will be watching

Keir Starmer is facing a nude threat on his trip to China after Theresa May - the last British Prime Minister to visit the superpower - was advised to get dressed under her bed covers

Events

15 h. ago At least 23 soldiers killed after landslide slams into training camp in Indonesia

Landslide buries a facility in West Java preparing troops for border patrol

Events

16 h. ago Gary Barlow reveals moment he 'couldn't deal with' Take That stress in 'unbelievable' pressure admission

Gary's comments arrive in a new Netflix documentary series about the boy band

Events

18 h. ago More than 1,000 families told to evacuate as bushfires rage and temperatures near 50C in Australia

Fire in forested region southwest of Melbourne breaches containment lines and threatens half a dozen towns

Events

18 h. ago Starmer's fraught visit to China will tell us what he really thinks of the UK's place in the world | Peter Frankopan

Does Britain have any leverage over human rights or security concerns or is it a decaying nation that cannot risk trade relations?This week, Keir Starmer will reportedly visit China. This will be the first trip of this kind by a British prime minister since Theresa May’s three-day visit to Beijing in 2018. Since then, relations between London and Beijing have become increasingly fraught, caught between growing security concerns and deep economic interdependence. Allegations of espionage and influence operations have sharpened political and public suspicion in the UK, even as deep trade links and supply chains on which the country depends make disengagement unrealistic. As fierce debate about the recent approval for the new Chinese embassy has shown, there are strong opinions about how to best manage relations with Beijing – as well as what, precisely, constitutes a threat and what is an opportunity. The result is an uneasy balancing act in which caution and cooperation coexist, ofte...

Politics

24 h. ago Major health risks linked to plastics emissions set to soar by 2040

A new study has highlighted the extensive health issues associated with plastics

Events

27 h. ago Coronation Street's Megan's next victim 'sealed' as she issues chilling threat

Coronation Street fans think Megan Walsh is about to be "exposed" after she showed her "true colours" by issuing an evil threat in Monday's episode of the ITV soap

Events

27 h. ago Legally blind Kansas biker accused of threatening to kill Rep. Ilhan Omar

First in The Independent: MAGA fan Adam Lee Osborn said he hated the Democrat from Minnesota ‘due to her disrespect for the United States and using God’s name in vain,’ court records show

Events

30 h. ago A Minnesota nurse is the 6th person to die during the US immigration crackdown

Alex Pretti, a Minnesota nurse, is the sixth person to die during the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement campaign in the U.S. Federal authorities immediately said Pretti was a threat to federal officers

Events

30 h. ago Number of people living in extreme heat to double by 2050 if 2C rise occurs, study finds

Scientists expect 41% of the projected global population to face the extremes, with ‘no part of the world’ immuneThe number of people living with extreme heat will more than double by 2050 if global heating reaches 2C, according to a new study that shows how the energy demands for air conditioners and heating systems are expected to change across the world.No region will escape the impact, say the authors. Although the tropics and southern hemisphere will be worst affected by rising heat, the countries in the north will also find it difficult to adapt because their built environments are primarily designed to deal with a cooler climate. Continue reading...

Politics

30 h. ago ‘He’s the one who has to pull the trigger’: threat of Streeting still looms over Starmer

With Andy Burnham sidelined, the health secretary is the strongest contender to challenge for the Labour leadership

Events

30 h. ago With Burnham blocked, Starmer’s biggest threat is now Streeting

UK health secretary is strongest contender to challenge for Labour leadership

Events

30 h. ago Nearly a quarter of US workers feeling burnt out or struggling

More than half of all respondents - 57 percent - said a struggling economy was the biggest threat to their job

Events

33 h. ago Why is Andy Burnham such a threat to Keir Starmer? Everyone likes him | Zoe Williams

Labour may have successfully blocked the mayor of Greater Manchester from running for parliament, but this definitely hasn’t solved their problemsSome people call Andy Burnham Labour’s prince across the water and others call him the King of the North. Those are two pretty different symbolisms – the first referring to James Francis Edward Stuart, the exiled son of James II, the second referring to Robb Stark, and later Jon Snow, from Game of Thrones. Everyone on Team Starmer will be sticking with the Stuarts, since that whole saga was defined by fakery and flakery. Since the moment of his birth, there were rumours that James was an impostor. It was all a little bit convenient that, just as his father was about to be deposed, this heir would appear. If history had taught the era anything, it was that having sons could not possibly be that easy.The Starks, by contrast, were known for honour, bravery and legitimacy, even the ones that were definitely illegitimate. The fact that they are...

Events

33 h. ago Revolution bars group faces administration putting 62 venues under threat

Revolution Bars Group, which runs Revolution, Revolucion de Cuba and Peach Pubs venues across the UK, has announced that it is to appoint administrators, but is in talks over a possible sale

Events

35 h. ago BREAKING: Liverpool school in lockdown horror as pupils and teachers ‘hide under desks’

Pupils at The Belvedere Academy in Liverpool were put into lockdown this morning with parents told that police were sweeping the school due to a "threat"

Society

39 h. ago How China’s leadership purge could raise the military threat for Taiwan

China’s most senior army figures are under investigation – with potential repercussions for the island nation Beijing claims

Events

39 h. ago ‘Psychodrama’ threat to Labour led party chiefs to block Andy Burnham Commons comeback, says minister

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hit by furious backlash from MPs, particularly on the Left of the Labour Party

Events