10 h. ago ‘We miss having a dog but it’s the price you pay’: the village that banned pets to save wildlife

Australian eco community is a sanctuary for native animals and a showcase of sustainable livingBill Smart has never heard the word “solarpunk”. But the softly spoken 77-year-old lights up when given the definition from Wikipedia: a literary, artistic and social movement that envisions and works towards actualising a sustainable future interconnected with nature and community.Solar refers not just to renewable energy but to an optimistic, anti-dystopian vision of the future. Punk is an allusion to its countercultural, do-it-yourself ethic. Continue reading...

Economics

24 h. ago PETER HITCHENS: Bundles of banknotes under beds and golden lavatories in their bathrooms... the truth about 'saintly' Ukraine is now clear for all to see. The myth has been exposed

Ukraine has lost its halo, as corruption charges swirl like an evil-smelling fog around its political elite.

Economics

68 h. ago ‘The Chinese will not pause’: Volvo and Polestar bosses urge EU to stick to 2035 petrol car ban

Exclusive: Swedish carmakers push to retain target as Germany lobbies to help its own industry by softening cutoff dateAs the battle lines harden amid Germany’s intensifying pressure on the European Commission to scrap the 2035 ban on production of new petrol and diesel cars, two Swedish car companies, Volvo and Polestar, are leading the campaign to persuade Brussels to stick to the date.They argue such a move is a desperate attempt to paper over the cracks in the German car industry, adding that it will not just prolong take up of electric vehicles but inadvertently hand the advantage to China. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago Cuddling capybaras and ogling otters: the problem with animal cafes in Asia

A boom in places offering petting sessions is linked to a rise in the illegal movement of exotic and endangered species, say expertsThe second floor of an unassuming office building in central Bangkok is a strange place to encounter the world’s largest rodent. Yet here, inside a small enclosure with a shallow pool, three capybaras are at the disposal of dozens of paying customers – all clamouring for a selfie. As people eagerly thrust leafy snacks toward the nonchalant-looking animals, few seem to consider the underlying peculiarity: how, exactly, did this South American rodent end up more than 10,000 miles from home, in a bustling Asian metropolis?Capybara cafes have been cropping up across the continent in recent years, driven by the animal’s growing internet fame. The semi-aquatic animals feature in more than 600,000 TikTok posts. In Bangkok, cafe customers pay 400 baht (£9.40) for a 30-minute petting session with them, along with a few meerkats and Chinese bamboo rats. Doors are...

Politics

9 d. ago Katie Price risks the wrath of animal welfare charities once AGAIN as she shaves her initials into horse's coat

The former glamour model, 47, has risked the wrath of animal welfare charities once after shaving her initials into her horse's coat.

Economics

9 d. ago Katie Price risks the wrath of animal welfare charities once AGAIN as she cuts her initials into her horse's skin

The former glamour model, 47, recently bought a new puppy despite frequent calls from charities to ban the star from owning pets and was featured in a brutal PETA Halloween campaign last month.

Economics

2 w. ago Babyshambles live: 'Pete Doherty's highly unlikely redemption arc continues'

Peter Doherty’s other band have reunited for a tour with a mission to prove there were always tunes beneath the chaos

Politics

2 w. ago With neonicotinoid pesticide ban, France’s birds make a tentative recovery

Analysis shows small hike in populations of insect-eating species after 2018 ruling, but full recovery may take decadesInsect-eating bird populations in France appear to be making a tentative recovery after a ban on bee-harming pesticides, according to the first study to examine how wildlife is returning in Europe.Neonicotinoids are the world’s most common class of insecticides, widely used in agriculture and for flea control in pets. By 2022, four years after the European Union banned neonicotinoid use in fields, researchers observed that France’s population of insect-eating birds had increased by 2%-3%. These included blackbirds, blackcaps and chaffinches, which feed on insects as adults and as chicks. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Drunk mum crashed car with her children inside then walks free – to take care of kids

Instead of being put behind bars Lisa Swift has been sent to rehab and banned from driving because she is 'petrified' of jail and court didn't want to 'upset' her kids

Events

3 w. ago Petition calling for a UK ban on fireworks passes major milestone

The petition now has more than 100,000 signatures

Events

3 w. ago The masterminds behind the briefcase robbery that cost the Bank of England £292million... it started with a petty thief and ballooned to a global criminal conspiracy linked to multiple murders

It's late in the afternoon on the Turkish Riviera and the sun is glinting into Keith Cheeseman's apartment above the Mediterranean sea.

Economics

4 w. ago 'I asked vets how to keep pets calm on Bonfire Night and they all said the same thing'

Bonfire Night can be a really stressful time for pets, who are likely to hear loud bangs and see flashing lights. Many owners will be wondering how to keep their animals calm on this night.

Events