Author: staff
Images posted on social media show the moment lightning struck near a demonstration by supporters of Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro, injuring 89 people, according to the fire department. Thousands gathered on Sunday in the rain in Brasilia to support Bolsonaro, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison last year for leading a failed coup d’etat following his narrow re-election loss. Footage shared online shows crowds with colourful umbrellas and plastic ponchos stunned by a sudden flash of light and rumbling sound. Ambulances and firefighter vehicles rushed to the scene after several people were hit by lightning.
Published on 13/01/2026 – 14:18 GMT+1 •Updated 14/01/2026 – 10:24 GMT+1 EU-wide protections against ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water have officially come into effect, but experts argue more action is needed. The crackdown, which came into force on 12 January, marks the first time levels of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are being “systematically monitored”. It means that all EU nations are now required to test contamination levels to ensure compliance with new limit values set out under the recast Drinking Water Directive, which sets the legal standard that water for human consumption must meet to be classed as safe…
Yet in acting ruthlessly, the usually-cautious Starmer — who is officially citing the additional costs of fighting a mayoral race — has already sparked a fierce internal backlash. Five Labour MPs told POLITICO a letter is being organized calling on Starmer to allow the wider 39-strong NEC to have another say. The move would allow a rethink among a wider group of officers, ranging from senior union figures to MPs and constituency parties that are less under No.10’s control. There would, however, be no guarantee that they’d reach a different conclusion — and the move would be bound to extend…
Published on 26/01/2026 – 16:01 GMT+1 The body of the final hostage in Gaza Ran Gvili has been recovered, Israel’s military said on Monday, clearing the way for the next phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza. The announcement that Gvili had been found and identified came a day after Israel’s government said the military was conducting a “large-scale operation” in a cemetery in northern Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it “an incredible achievement” for his country and its soldiers, telling domestic media that “I promised we would bring everyone home and we have brought everyone home.” He…
Published on 15/01/2026 – 8:00 GMT+1 An “invisible” key to tackling the climate crisis has taken centre stage after evolutionary biologist Dr Toby Kiers was named the winner of the 2026 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement. The Laureate, which is often touted as the ‘Nobel Prize’ for the climate, recognises “outstanding” scientific work in environmental science, health and energy that benefits humanity. It comes with a $250,000 (around €215,000) cash prize. Dr Kiers, a professor at Vrije University in Amsterdam, scooped the prestigious gong after shedding light on hidden fungal networks that suck-out carbon from the atmosphere. How can fungi…
“I think offshore wind is for winners.” At the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, Trump reiterated his deep-seated loathing for wind energy, saying: “There are windmills all over Europe. … They are losers.” Trump also claimed, falsely, that China, despite making most of the world’s wind turbines, don’t use them and only “sell them to the stupid people that buy them.” China has by far the world’s largest wind power generation capacity. Energy ministers from the U.K., Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands signed a deal Monday at the third North Sea Summit to deliver…
Greenpeace activists gathered in Brussels’ European quarter today, unveiling large effigies of US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The protest aimed to warn the EU against deepening its dependence on imported fossil fuels. Standing beneath the two figures, campaigners urged Europe to invest in renewables instead of turning to what they called ‘unreliable partners’. Greenpeace campaign manager Anna Peters said the group wanted to remind leaders of the lessons from Russia’s energy leverage. ‘We can’t swap one dependency for another,’ she said, calling on the EU to speed up its transition to clean energy sources.
Iran’s 2026 protests erupted after a prolonged period of planned cuts to water and electricity, successive closures of educational and commercial centres, and deadly air pollution in major cities. Factors such as the surge in the dollar rate, the steep rise in prices of goods and services, and discontent with the political system are frequently cited causes for the unrest – but these don’t paint the entire picture. This time, the issue goes beyond ‘how to live’ and becomes a matter of ‘how to survive’. What is playing out on the streets today is an alliance between a middle class…
Published on 26/01/2026 – 13:51 GMT+1 Another day, another James Bond casting rumour. The identity of the seventh 007 (if you don’t count David Niven’s take in the 1967 spoof Casino Royale) is Hollywood’s best-kept secret and no official announcement has yet been made. Actors like Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Tom Holland, Harris Dickinson and Scott Rose-Marsh have been rumoured to be in contention for the next superspy, and recent reports suggested that Callum Turner had already been cast as Bond. Now, another credible report states that the internet’s current heartthrob, Jacob Elordi, has auditioned for Bond 26 director Denis Villeneuve. The…
The report also highlighted a plan by Russia to build a drone production plant in neighboring Belarus with a capacity of up to 100,000 drones a year. Drone warfare played a major role in helping Ukrainian forces repel Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Since late 2024, however, the drone war has shifted in Russia’s favor, as Moscow adapted to the new technology, according to the Atlantic Council. Russian media have reported that the country’s Ministry of Defense this month launched a recruitment campaign at Russian universities, seeking students with computer and tech skills to bolster its unmanned systems forces. The…