UK News
View All 9Ryanair passengers stranded in Greece after 'mega-queue' piles up thanks to EU border chaos
Ryanair passengers were left stranded in Greece after they were stuck in a "mega-queue" caused by the EU's controversial border system.A flight from Athens International Airport to London Luton took off without as many as 50 of its passengers.The sudden departure of the flight left some would-be flyers furious - which caused airport authorities to step in.It is just the latest in a series of incidents ever since the implementation of the EU's Entry Exit System (EES). TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Ryanair blamed border delays for the incident, while the airport said it had experienced congestion linked to "additional processing requirements" - but neither side directly blamed the EES, which requires passengers to register biometric details such as fingerprints and photographs upon entry to Europe.Milo Boyd, a travel writer who managed to successfully board the Ryanair flight, said he did not have his biometric information taken on entry or exit at Athens.He experienced a "mega queue" of several hundred people at both security and passport control - amid a sweltering heat wave in the Greek capital.Mr Boyd said while he was lucky enough to be able to make his gate and board the flight, at least 20 people had arrived too late.People were "pleading with the Ryanair staff" to be allowed to board the flight, with one man looking "like he was about to explode", the Mail writer added.The flight also missed its air traffic control slot, departing an hour late in order to remove the missing passenger's bags, according to the BBC.Athens International Airport said authorities intervened to "maintain orderly operations" at the gate, as "a number of passengers expressed their dissatisfaction".A spokesman said there were "periods of congestion at passport control in the departures area due to high passenger volumes and the additional processing requirements associated with travel to non-Schengen destinations".EUROPEAN TRAVEL CHAOS - READ MORE:British holidaymakers warned airport chaos could last for TWO YEARS as new EU border system causes hour-long delaysBritons told to brace for six-hour waits at holiday hotspots this summer amid EU border chaosPortugal and Italy now refuse to scrap hated EU border checks despite travel chaos for British touristsThey added: "As is currently the case at many European airports, passenger flows on certain routes may experience increased processing times as new border-control procedures continue to be implemented and refined."Ryanair said in a statement "a number of passengers" did not board due to delays caused by border control at Athens airport."All passengers that were at the boarding gate when this flight from Athens to London Luton boarded, travelled without incident," Ryanair said.But this is not the first time the budget airline has left passengers stranded since the implementation of the EES.Earlier this month, a Ryanair flight from Toulouse abandoned 150 passengers as the border control queue turned into a "scrummage".At the time, Ryanair said: "All passengers that were at the boarding gate when this flight from Toulouse to London Stansted boarded were accommodated and travelled without incident."And in March, a flight from Lanzarote to Bristol left half-empty, leaving behind nearly 90 passengers in the Canary Islands.Ryanair said at the time: "Should these passengers have presented at the boarding gate desk before it closed, they would have boarded this flight alongside the 90 passengers who did present at the gate on time."Ryanair is not the only airline to have suffered problems with the EES. Passengers on an EasyJet flight from Milan queued up for up to three hours - only to miss their flights to Manchester.Last week, a member of the EU's border security agency warned it could take one to two years to adjust "to the new reality", admitting it could "take some fine tuning". Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
British Airways flight forced into emergency landing as 'explosion' sparks terror fears on board
A British Airways plane was forced to make an emergency landing after an explosion sparked fears of a "terrorist incident" on board.Passengers on the flight from London to Las Vegas panicked after an object on the jet combusted at 30,000 feet, sending smoke around the cabin.The pilot of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner was heard telling air traffic controllers he was "trying to keep the panic to a minimum".But the cause of the combustion was much more mundane - a portable phone charger which exploded and caught fire inside. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say A source told The Sun: "The pilot told air traffic controllers there was panic onboard, and he was not wrong."The explosion, fire, then smell of smoke was terrifying. It was as if a bomb had gone off."People thought it might be a terrorist incident."The owner of the power bank began charging their phone began to panic because the device "began smouldering", the passenger said.Images shared by the passenger showed the plane's fold-out table completely charred."The device was so hot it scorched the cabin floor where it landed. It was pandemonium onboard," a passenger said.She said the British Airways crew acted "brilliantly" as they put out the fire with an extinguisher."It had melted of the seat and the floor. Scorch marks were everywhere," she added.FLIGHT HORROR - READ MORE:Hundreds of British Airways passengers stranded for days in freezing temperatures after flight makes emergency diversionRyanair flight takes off without 150 passengers as panicked flyers 'scrummage' amid EU border chaosBritish Airways crew 'rushed to hospital after being spiked with drug-laced sweets'Describing it as a very "scary experience", the passenger said power banks on planes must be addressed.A spokesman for British Airways said: "The safety of our customers and crew is the highest priority, the flight landed safely and customers disembarked normally."Last month, an EasyJet flight to London Luton was diverted to Rome after a power bank in the hold posed a threat.And in October last year, an Air China flight devolved into panic after lithium batteries within a phone charger combusted.Power banks are banned from being placed in checked luggage.Passengers are also prohibited from using their power banks to recharge their phones while in air.Jonathan Nicholson from the Civil Aviation Authority said restrictions, including not putting devices in checked luggage, were not "for the sake of it".He told the BBC: "I wouldn't want to be the passenger who packed it in the wrong place and ended up with all the other passengers in the wrong city because the flight was diverted." Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
Trump breaks with decades of US policy in jaw-dropping confession that Iran will have missiles as part of peace deal
In a stunning departure from decades of established US foreign policy, President Donald Trump revealed that a forthcoming peace agreement with Iran will likely allow the regime to retain its conventional ballistic missiles. Standing before reporters at the G7 meeting in France, the President argued that a complete ban is unrealistic because 'they got to have some.' 'What am I going to do? Am I going to let Saudi Arabia have missiles, but they can't have them?' Trump said during the briefing. 'Missiles aren't the problem. They hurt a little location, but they don't blow up the planet.' A reporter pressed Trump, saying one of the goals of Epic Fury was to destroy Iran's ballistic missiles. 'What are they keeping? They have less than other nations now. The rest of them are underground. They can't even get them out,' Trump said in defense, adding that they have already knocked out about 85% of their missiles. The President also said that he might stick around for the signing of the memorandum on Friday, but added that it 'might not be the kind of document' he should sign. Then he half-jokingly said his Vice President could own the fallout if a deal goes south. 'I like that idea. This way, if it works out, I'm going to take the credit. If it doesn't work out, I'm blaming JD. You better be careful, JD. He's going to turn his plane around and get the hell out of here,' Trump said menacingly.
Moment drunk driver catapults motorcyclist into the air while he waits at a red light
A drunk driver has been jailed after he ploughed into a motorcyclist who was waiting at a red light. Eden Mander, 19, was driving a Toyota Yaris when he collided with the bike just after 1am on Epsom High Street in Surrey. The rider was catapulted into the air while the Yaris flipped over and hit another car waiting at the junction. Mander was seen , with no concern for the motorcyclist or attempt to call emergency services. It was only when he was questioned . He failed a breath test which found he was over double the legal limit and so was arrested at the scene on suspicion of drink driving and causing serious injury . The motorcycle rider was left needing multiple surgeries for his injuries and will require ongoing treatment. Mander was sentenced to 16 months in prison for causing serious injury .
World News
View All 10Billionaire Tax Officially Has Enough Signatures for California Ballot
A proposed wealth tax on billionaires is headed to the ballot unless Gov. Gavin Newsom and other opponents reach a deal with backers to remove it.
Despair and delight in England-Croatia grudge match
Emotions seesawed across London and Zagreb as England met Croatia in a thrilling World Cup grudge match. The Three Lions came away 4-2 winners in Dallas, Texas.
US must ‘force’ Israel to change its policy on Lebanon
Israel may ‘symbolically’ pull back its troops from southern Lebanon after the US and Iran signed a peace deal which included an end to Israel’s war on Lebanon, according to analyst Rami Khouri. But he attests, real policy change will only happen when the US forces Israel’s hand.
Florida court says 18-year-olds have same gun rights as other adults
close Video Trump-appointed judge posts video showing firearm protocol after court upholds blue-state magazine restriction Judge Lawrence VanDyke of the 9th Circuit criticized his colleagues' "basic misunderstanding of how firearms work" after they voted to uphold magazine restrictions. (US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit) NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A Florida appeals court ruled Wednesday that the state's ban on concealed carry 18 to 20 violates the Second Amendment, finding that young adults are entitled to the same constitutional protections as law-abiding adults over the age of 20. In a sweeping opinion, the court said 18-year-olds can serve in the military and defend the nation but face restrictions on their ability to exercise the same self-defense rights available to older adults. "Eighteen- to 20-year-olds can defend the country without restriction but can only utilize their Second Amendment right to self-defense with severe restrictions," Judge Spencer D. Levine wrote for a unanimous three-judge panel of Florida's Fourth District Court of Appeals. "Restricting 18- to 20-year-olds — members of the same 'political community' as other law-abiding adults — from rights to self-defense would make the Second Amendment a 'second-class' right," Levine wrote. STAY IN YOUR LANE: FLORIDA AG FIRES NEXT VOLLEY AGAINST JUDGE HALTING STATE IMMIGRATION LAW A Florida gun law book is displayed at Top Shottas Guns and Tactical Supply store in Fort Lauderdale on June 29, 2023, ahead of the state's new law allowing concealed carry without a permit taking effect on July 1. (Carline Jean/Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service via ) The case stemmed from the 2024 arrest of Jaylen Eubanks, who was 18 at the time. According to the opinion, officers responding to a report of a person displaying a handgun detained Eubanks and found an unholstered firearm on his waist. He was charged with carrying a concealed firearm and improper exhibition of a firearm. Eubanks challenged the concealed-carry charge, arguing Florida's age restriction violated the Second Amendment. The restriction was enacted following the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, where 17 people were killed. A trial court rejected Eubanks' argument, but the appellate court reversed. Citing Supreme Court precedent including Heller, Bruen and Rahimi, the court said adults ages 18 to 20 are among "the people" protected a historical tradition supporting the restriction. GUNS AND GANJA: SUPREME COURT SKEPTICAL OF FEDERAL LAW BANNING FIREARM POSSESSION FOR REGULAR MARIJUANA USERS James Uthmeier speaks at the National Conservative Convention in Washington, D. C., on Sept. 3, 2025. (Dominic Gwinn/Middle East Images/AFP via ) The panel also pointed to founding-era militia laws requiring many 18-year-old men to serve while bearing arms. "That young adults had to serve in the militia indicates that founding-era lawmakers believed those youth could, and indeed should, keep and bear arms," the opinion states.
Politics
View All 10How Brexit still divides British voters
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Wie Merz es mit China aufnimmt
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music Direkt nach dem G7-Gipfel kommen die EU-Staats- und Regierungschefs in Brüssel zusammen, wobei diesmal die strategische Kehrtwende gegenüber China im Fokus steht. Angesichts unfairer Subventionen und massiver Überkapazitäten Pekings schwenkt auch Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz auf einen harten, gegenüber China kritischen Kurs um. Gemeinsam mit Hans von der Burchard analysiert Gordon Repinski das Risiko eines drohenden Handelskrieges sowie den ambitionierten EU-Beitrittswunsch von Wolodymyr Selenskyj, der in Brüssel auf Merz’ deutlich defensiveren Zeitplan trifft. Im 200-Sekunden-Interview fordert EVP-Chef Manfred Weber radikale Konsequenzen aus der unberechenbaren US-Außenpolitik unter Donald Trump. Statt 27 nationaler Einzelarmeen brauche der Kontinent endlich eine schlagkräftige, europäische Verteidigungsallianz mit eigenen Kommandostrukturen. Pauline von Pezold von Inside AfD berichtet über das kalkulierte Spaltungsszenario der AfD für die Zeit nach den Landtagswahlen. Sollten der Partei nur wenige Stimmen zur absoluten Mehrheit fehlen, will sie unzufriedene CDU-Hinterbänkler gezielt mit dem Versprechen von Ministerposten aus der eigenen Fraktion herausbrechen. Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es jeden Morgen ab 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team liefern Politik zum Hören – kompakt, international, hintergründig. Für alle Hauptstadt-Profis: Der Berlin Playbook- bietet jeden Morgen die wichtigsten Themen und Einordnungen. Jetzt kostenlos abonnieren. Mehr von Host und POLITICO Executive Editor Gordon Repinski: Instagram: @gordon. repinski | X: @GordonRepinski. POLITICO Deutschland – ein Angebot der Axel Springer Deutschland GmbH Axel-Springer-Straße 65, 10888 Berlin Tel: +49 (30) 2591 0 [email protected] Sitz: Amtsgericht Berlin-Charlottenburg, HRB 196159 B USt-IdNr: DE 214 852 390 Geschäftsführer: Carolin Hulshoff Pol, Mathias Sanchez Luna **(Anzeige) Eine Nachricht von Vodafone Business: Cloud entscheidet heute über Wettbewerbsfähigkeit und digitale Souveränität. Unternehmen brauchen flexible Cloud-Strategien, die Innovation ermöglichen und gleichzeitig Sicherheit und Compliance sichern. Vodafone Business begleitet seine Kund: innen dabei als Anbieter für digitale Lösungen. Mit der passenden Kombination aus Cloud, Konnektivität und Sicherheit. So entsteht genau das richtige Maß an Souveränität, ohne Wettbewerbsnachteile.
Most believe civil liberties under threat: Survey
Most Americans believe that some rights including the right to vote are facing some level of threat, according to a new poll. In the AP-NORC Center poll, 66 percent of respondents said that the right to vote is either facing a “major threat” or “minor threat” in the U.S., while 33 percent said it is…
Trump clears a low bar at the G7 after months of tumult
Heading into the gathering, expectations were modest, as Trump officials and G7 allies hoped to avoid any major blow-ups.
Business
View All 10Wall Street pushes US regulators to further ease Basel capital rules
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BMW sounds the alarm as China squeezes Europe’s carmakers
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Goldman Says Hormuz Oil Flows May Recover to Only 70% After War
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Trump and Iran's President Pezeshkian sign memorandum aimed to end war
Livestream Menu President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian digitally signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at developing a permanent peace deal to end the war between their two nations, officials said. Trump earlier said he liked the idea of blaming Vice President JD Vance if a deal to end the war with Iran does not work out. The MOU calls for the immediate end to military actions 60 days. The MOU includes an agreement for the U. S. and Iran to resolve the question of how to dispose of the Islamic Republic's stockpile of highly-enriched uranium. Meanwhile, a senior administration official told reporters there's no pressing need to retrieve the radioactive materials. VIDEO0:4800:48 Trump says he likes the idea of blaming Vance if the Iran deal doesn’t work out News Videos President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday digitally signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at developing a permanent peace deal to end the war between their two nations, officials said. The signing came three days after Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf digitally signed the same document, and hours after Trump mused about whether it was a wise idea for him to personally sign the document. Trump signed the MOU before a dinner in Versailles, France, with French President Emmanuel Macron, France's first lady Brigitte Macron, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and others, according to a video posted online . Macron shook Trump's hand, telling him, "bravo," "good job," and "great job," the video shows. "It's signed," Trump told reporters after the dinner. Macron, in a post on X later that contained a video of the signing, wrote, "This agreement paves the way for lasting peace and allows the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz." "It is an important step in the right direction for our compatriots that will soon enable a decrease in energy prices," Macron wrote, in a translation from the original French. Earlier Wednesday, Trump said he liked the idea of blaming Vance if a deal to end the war with Iran does not work out. "If it works out, I'm going to take the credit. If it doesn't work out, I'm blaming JD," Trump quipped, after a reporter suggested Trump was setting Vance up to take the fall . Trump's comments to reporters at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, came as a senior U. S. official separately read the text of the memorandum of understanding with Iran to reporters in a call, and as two Republican senators slammed the agreement.
Technology
View All 10The UK Will Scan Asylum-Seekers’ Faces for Age Checks—Despite Knowing the Tech Is Flawed
CommentSave StorySave this story CommentSave StorySave this story Starting next year, the British government is planning to introduce facial age estimation—where AI scans your face and suggests how old you are—to help determine the age of asylum seekers arriving at the United Kingdom’s border. The move is believed to be the first time that a so-called facial age estimation (FAE) system has been used in this way. Many asylum seekers arriving in the UK will not have documents proving their age, and if children are incorrectly classed as adults, they can be stripped of some legal protections and placed in adult-only detention centers. An investigation , in collaboration with The Independent, has obtained an internal UK government report detailing its tests of FAE technologies. It shows how the systems regularly mistake children for adults and appear to contain serious bias problems, which directly impact the largest group of migrants subject to age assessments in 2025, according to data from the Home Office. The investigation raises questions about the effectiveness of the technology and whether it should be deployed in such high-stakes scenarios. The findings also come as the second Trump administration and governments around the world increasingly adopt anti-migrant policies while spending billions on surveillance technology that is often deployed against vulnerable people who have little knowledge of its use, how it works, or ways they can challenge it. The leaked Home Office document obtained “best” performing of seven facial age estimation algorithms that the department tested last year, although it does not directly name the companies behind them. The report found that the system performed significantly worse when it was used to estimate the ages of Sub-Saharan Africans compared to other groups. Sub-Sarahan Africans are the largest group of migrants entering the UK after crossing the English Channel in small boats in recent years and had more age assessments raised in 2025 than cohorts from other regions, according to Home Office data. For female Sub-Saharan Africans, the age that the system guessed was off 4.6 years, meaning that a 13.5-year-old girl could be assessed as an 18-year-old adult. The investigation also found that the Home Office, which oversees UK immigration and policing, disbanded a scientific committee designed to advise it on broader age estimation methods while it was exploring the introduction of AI. “We were keen to highlight the inadequacies of facial age estimation, but this opportunity was not presented to us, and then the committee was shut down,” says Tim Cole, an emeritus professor of medical statistics at University College London’s Institute of Child Health and former committee member.
Home Depot Promo Codes: 50% Off in June 2026
Save StorySave this story Save StorySave this story Join the Home Depot Text Program for $5 Off If you already shop a lot at Home Depot and are looking for other ways to save, signing up for The Home Depot’s Promo Text Program is a good idea. You’ll receive text messages with special promotions, offers, how-to guides for projects, and great design ideas. Plus, you’ll get $5 off your next purchase when you . Save Up to 50% With These Home Depot Coupon Codes and Discounts Home Depot deals are in full swing with huge discounts on a myriad of gifts and home project-related items, like 10% off flooring for Pro members with promo code SAMPLESAVE10, or 20% off Electrolux handheld electronics with code ELECTROLUX20, like the ever-popular Electrolux handheld garment steamer. There are also offers for free tools with battery kit purchases, and buy one get one free deals from top names like Milwaukee, DEWALT, and RYOBI. Power tools and hand tools are discounted up to 50% this season, as well as extremely handy lawn and outdoor power equipment that can help with shoveling and general pesky snow removal and home upkeep. Home Depot Online Coupons: Up to 30% Off Air Conditioners Summer’s here and that means rising temperatures, longer days, and higher heat index. Don’t be caught in the next heat wave without being prepared. With this Home Depot coupon, you can get up to 30% off air conditioners, plus everything else you need to stay cool like fans, smart thermostats, and more. This means saving hundreds on potentially lifesaving (and house-cooling) devices from top air conditioning brands like Midea, Windmill, LG, GE, Frigidaire, and more. Up to 15% Off Grills at Home Depot The best grills now offer a fair amount of tech to measure and control temperature (think: temperature probes and fans to modulate airflow). The WIRED Reviews team has been testing grills for more than a decade—searing, smoking, grilling, and even baking on them in all kinds of weather—to find the best choice for everyone. And Home Depot has a wide selection of grills for up to 15% off online right now. Get ready for outdoor summer grilling for less with Home Depot’s discounted grills—there’s something for every type of home chef, including gas, charcoal, pellet, portable, and kamado grills, plus smokers. Shop Top Home Depot Sale Deals for up to $1,400 Off Appliances, Bath Items, and Tools And as it turns out, the hardware giant also goes hard on discounts, slashing grills and garden and outdoor power tools 50%, not to mention smokers like the new Traieger Woodridge (8/10, WIRED Recommends) also sold at Home Depot.
Local Qwen isn't a worse Opus, it's a different tool
We've all heard people say that local Qwen 27B or 35-A3B is "near-Opus level", but I have receipts from a software business and open source projects, and am here to be transparent with you. This post is long-form for a reason. It's not a cursory glance, an unsubstantiated claim on X about cancelling Claude Max, or a hobbyist report from a model running at single-digit tokens per second with a 32K context window. It isn't written by a famous CEO tweeting about coding from an airplane. It's my journey as a founder in a small software business, where local models have produced real, caveated value. I have skin in the game, but no incentive to push either cloud or local models, and a strong desire for local models to become capable and reliable. I'll cover how the card paid for itself in the first two or three months, how it keeps serving our specific business use case, why I still can't trust it unsupervised, and Qwen's worst trait: the infinite loops and hallucination risk. These show up most when you quantize it down to fit a consumer GPU. Figuring out the power connectors for the RTX 6000 Pro On my use case for AI My journey as a maintainer and founder started with OpenFaaS - built completely by hand, as was all software in 2016 up until recently. That meant laying down the core of the project on my own, then inviting others to participate through community - not because I couldn't do it on my own, but because my goal was to build a successful open source project. Around 2017 I tried to fund my time , and in 2019 after changes in the market, I needed a way to fund the work myself, so moved towards open-core and built a bootstrapped company. Today our small team maintains OpenFaaS, SlicerVM - AI sandboxes and "the missing API for Linux", Actuated. com - self-hosted CI runners for GitHub/GitLab, and Inlets. com - self-hosted HTTP/TCP tunnels. These products use very low level Linux primitives like containers, Kubernetes, Firecracker microVMs, and networked protocols. If you squint, they're all opinionated infrastructure products focused on: efficiency, user-experience, control and autonomy. They're written in Go, and some have React-based UI components, landing pages, docs, agent skills, and CLIs. Along with the code, we also provide the best-in-class support, because we are lean and willing to do things that don't scale to help customers.
40+ hidden Google Maps settings that every user should be taking advantage of
Tech 40+ hidden Google Maps settings that every user should be taking advantage of Written , Senior Contributing EditorSenior Contributing Editor June 17, 2026 at p. m. PT Google Maps is a veritable font of easy, useful tricks. Elyse Betters Picaro/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways Google Maps has dozens of settings that unlock hidden features. They improve navigation, battery life, accessibility, privacy, and more. Here are the top tips and tricks I believe make Maps far more useful. I open Google Maps almost every day to get from point A to point B, find a restaurant, or check traffic before even leaving the house. But that approach barely scratches the surface of what the service can do. After writing about Google Maps for nearly 15 years, I've learned firsthand that it's packed with hidden settings, menus, and toggles. Many help you fine-tune the app to your liking, while others unlock new features you probably didn't know existed. Also: How to blur your home on Google Street View - and why you should do it ASAP Below is my master list of Google Maps settings, tips, and tricks every power user should know. I've focused on Google Maps for iOS and Android, specifically, but many of the suggestions do work on the web version as well. 1. Keep the map facing north Let's start with a common annoyance: the map not auto-rotating as you move, making it hard to orient yourself. If you prefer to keep the map facing north, go to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation and turn on Keep map north up. Also: A hidden Google Earth slider lets you travel up to 80 years back in time - here's how to try it Elyse Betters Picaro/ZDNET 2. Avoid tolls, highways, or ferries If you prefer to steer clear of tolls, highways, or ferries, whether to save time and money or take the scenic route, you can tell Google Maps to avoid them by default. Go to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation and toggle on Avoid tolls, Avoid highways, or Avoid ferries. Use fuel-efficient routes Who doesn't want to save gas on a trip? If you want to travel as efficiently as possible, tell Google Maps to suggest fuel-efficient routes by default, especially if arrival times are similar. Go to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation and turn on Prefer fuel-efficient routes. Also: 10 Google Maps settings I immediately change on every new phone - and why Elyse Betters Picaro/ZDNET 4.
Science
View All 10'Game-changing' cancer service approved for rollout
22 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on Google Janine MachinEast of England technology correspondent Laraine Chung Laraine Chung who needed less invasive surgery as a result of genome testing said "making tests like this easier to access can only be a good thing" Last year, Laraine Chung discovered she had a tumour behind her left eye. Tests failed to identify its type so she faced losing her eye through complex surgery which could also affect her brain and face. But the 63-year-old carer from Peterborough had an option that many cancer patients in her position currently do not. She had Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, which changed her outcome. By analysing a patient's DNA, WGS is able to identify the types and causes of cancers and other genetic diseases - in Chung's case, a benign meningioma requiring less extensive surgery - and provide vital information to direct doctors to the best treatments. "Without the test, I would have needed much more complex surgery, and it would have taken even more time to recover," the grandmother-of-four said. "Getting the genetic results made everything clear. It was a long, anxious wait for the results but it was a huge relief for me and my family when they rang to say they knew what it was and that I wouldn't lose my eye." A new technique for preserving tissue samples should allow more patients in the UK to access Whole Genome Sequencing and improve outcomes WGS is available on the NHS, for all children with cancer (up to age 25) and adults with certain cancers including those with advanced ovarian cancers, triple negative breast cancers, some sarcomas and blood cancers, as well as cancers of unknown origin. However, some patients currently cannot access it, because of the practicalities of transporting samples to regional testing labs, such as the one at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH). When a biopsy is taken, the genetic material in the tissue degrades within hours, unless it is protected. Freezing the sample preserves it, but not all clinical facilities are able to do that. Now a new technique, pioneered at Addenbrooke's Hospital, enables the sample to be preserved in a stabilising solution and transported at room temperature instead. 'Vital to remove barriers' Launched across the East of England at the end of 2025, the change makes it easier for patients at hospitals such as Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn, Peterborough City Hospital and Ipswich Hospital to benefit from testing.
Real-time monitoring to protect chalk stream
1 hour agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on Google Jon CuthillSouth of England environment correspondent BBC Recent pollution incidents led to the project to constantly monitor water quality along the length of the River Test A scheme to provide real-time pollution monitoring along the entire length of a chalk stream is believed to be the first of its kind in the country. Nearly 20 sensors, known as sondes, have been placed into the River Test to continuously measure key indicators of water quality. The collaboration between Southern Water, local communities and campaigners follows recent concern over pollution levels. It's hoped the continuous monitoring will give a better understanding of the types of pollution and where and how it's entering the river. Each monitor contains probes which sample specific indicators of water quality and pollution with the data sent back day and night "We have, from source to mouth, the entire River Test and major tributary areas covered " explains member of the Pan Parish River Pollution Forum and local Lib Dem councillor, Geoff Cooper. "As far as we know it's never been done before in the UK and that's why it's such a ground-breaking and exciting moment." The monitors provide half hourly updates of dissolved oxygen, ammonia and water temperature levels. The information can be accessed . It's hoped within the next year it will also be available to the public. The River Test is the longest chalk stream in the UK rising at Ashe near Basingstoke and flowing 40 miles to Southampton Water "I've been a river keeper in Hampshire for 10 years but I grew up looking after a river in Yorkshire" says Seth Crosswaite, river keeper at Houghton Lodge. "What you want to see in a chalk stream is nice clean gravel. That's what the fish need to spawn on." "All those monitors down that river will measure it in real-time. So if we get a pollution incident we can look above stream and down stream of it. Above stream to see where it is and downstream to effect it is having on the river." Concern about the health of the River Test grew in 2024 when heavy rain saw overflow sewer outlets spill into the river during what Southern Water called "exceptional circumstances". In March that year hundreds of campaigners and residents protested outside the company's Fullerton Waste Water Treatment Works. According to Geoff Cooper that protest proved a turning point. "That made Southern Water realised just how angry people were." "They opened their doors to us and gave us the opportunity to work collaboratively together to find solutions to better understand the quality of our rivers." Southern Water says it's investing 84 million pounds improving water quality on the Test - 28 million pounds at Fullerton Waste Water Treatment Works.
Ancient monument may have been an early Stonehenge prototype
A reconstruction of the summer solstice celebrations as they might have appeared at Bulford thousands of years ago Marijane Porter, Wessex Archaeology Stone Age peoples in Britain built a wooden monument to mark the summer solstice, 500 years before they began building the stone circle at Stonehenge. Stonehenge is also aligned to the summer solstice, and the wooden monument may have been an early prototype of this. It is one of the earliest examples of a monument aligned to an astronomical phenomenon in the British Isles. The surprising origins of Britain's Bronze Age immigrants revealed “What we have now, for the first time, is actual proof that these people were capable of capturing the movement of the sun,” said Phil Harding at Wessex Archaeology, who led the excavations, at a press conference announcing the discovery. Stonehenge is a monument built during the Neolithic, the very end of the Stone Age. Situated on Salisbury Plain in the UK, it consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen stones topped , a smaller inner ring of vertical bluestones and several other stones. These are surrounded a ditch. This is the oldest part, built around 3100 BC, with the stones being placed over the centuries up to 1600 BC. Some of the standing stones seem to have been carefully aligned to point to the spot on the horizon where the sun rises on the summer solstice, and to the opposing spot where the sun sets on the winter solstice. The relevant stones were erected about 2500 BC. Harding and his colleagues have found the remains of a nearby monument that is 500 years older. About 5 kilometres north-east of Stonehenge, there is a village called Bulford, where the UK’s Ministry of Defence wanted to house about 5000 army personnel. Before construction began, Wessex Archaeology excavated Bulford from 2015 to 2017. The team found a cluster of pits containing grooved ware pottery, which was made . Radiocarbon dating suggested the pottery was from about 2950 BC. The researchers obtained 40 dates, all tightly clustered in time. “This site was being occupied for a relatively short period of time,” said Harding. “It could be something like a decade.” “It’s a really important Middle Neolithic settlement,” says Susan Greaney at the University of Exeter, UK, who wasn’t involved in the study. A piece of pottery found at Bulford, UK Wessex Archaeology Two of the Bulford pits were a different shape to the others. Instead of having vertical sides, they tapered towards the bottom, going from about 1.2 metres across to just 0.5 metres.
No young women have died of cervical cancer in England for years
HPV vaccines have revolutionised cervical-cancer prevention since the first one became available in 2006 Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto via No women in England aged 20 to 24 died of cervical cancer between 2020 and 2024. This is the first time that zero cervical-cancer deaths have been recorded for this age group, and it’s thanks to the introduction of a vaccine against the human papillomavirus, or HPV. “The results are stunning,” says Peter Sasieni at Queen Mary University of London. “It’s an awful thing when somebody dies very young from cervical cancer. This is a real triumph for vaccination, a real triumph for science and a real triumph for public health to get that vaccine out there with very high uptake very rapidly.” Woman in cancer remission without treatment in highly unusual case HPV is spread , and many strains genetically modify cells in a way that is extremely likely to cause cancer. Women can get cervical cancer in their twenties because of the virus, and around the world many are still dying because of it. The first HPV vaccine became available in 2006. In the UK, it has been offered to girls aged 12 or 13 since 2008. It’s been offered to boys since 2019, both to protect them from other HPV-triggered cancers – like those affecting the mouth, anus, throat and penis – and to prevent them from infecting others. The study is the first evidence that the HPV vaccine prevents cervical-cancer-related deaths, in addition to dramatically reducing HPV infections and the incidence of cervical cancers. It may seem obvious that it prevents deaths, but we know that the women who are least likely to get vaccinated are also the least likely to go for screening, says Sasieni. So, there was a worry that the vaccine has mainly been preventing cancers that would have been detected early , but not preventing those that would get missed . Fortunately, this doesn’t appear to be the case. Sasieni and his colleague Milena Falcaro, also at Queen Mary, have been monitoring cervical-cancer rates and deaths in England, and noticed that between 2020 and 2024 – the most recent data available – there were no deaths among women aged 20 to 24. Based on historical rates, around 23 deaths would be expected. “As far back as I’ve seen data, there’s never been a year with none, and so five years in a row with no deaths is really quite something,” says Sasieni. The dramatic drop is almost certainly due to the HPV vaccine – around 90 per cent of women in England aged 20 to 24 were vaccinated when they were 12 or 13. “This hugely encouraging news shows the life-saving impact of the HPV vaccine, and it’s incredibly exciting to be able to say to this whole generation: cervical cancer and some other cancers shouldn’t be a risk for you,” says Caroline Temmink, director of vaccination for the National Health Service (NHS) in England.
Environment
View All 10Escape hatches on lobster pots protect marine life
1 hour agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on Google Paul MurphyEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire climate and environment correspondent BBC Grant Watson, who works on a shellfishing boat, says the industry "works hard" to reduce its impact on marine ecosystems Fishermen on the East Yorkshire coast say a simple redesign for thousands of lobster pots is protecting the wider marine environment. An "escape hatch" built into the side of pots is preventing so-called "bycatch" and allowing young lobsters, fish and other marine life to escape. Bycatch – the unintentional capture of non-target species – is causing increasing concern to conservationists. Grant Watson, who works aboard a Bridlington-based fishing boat, said the redesigned pots were helping ensure a "stronger future" for the shellfish industry . "It's letting the smaller stuff get out. It reduces fighting in the pots between species. It's reducing deaths in the pots," Watson added. A recent report , more than 1,000 porpoises and dolphins, and dozens of whales were dying through bycatch each year. Andy van der Schatte Olivier is calling on the government to implement a bycatch policy A notable case happened on a beach in Bridlington three years ago, when dozens of seabirds were killed after becoming trapped in a discarded net. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust has joined calls from other marine conservation groups for a government policy to tackle the issue. Andy van der Schatte Olivier, marine programme manager at the trust, said this was "vital" for the future of many species. He said the trust was "working well" with the local fishing industry to "improve awareness" and reduce bycatch, but wanted ministers to act. "We are calling for the government to immediately put in a bycatch action plan," he added. The lobster pot hatch allows smaller marine creatures to escape A spokesperson for Wildlife and Countryside Link said the government had been slow to develop plans to reduce bycatch, while rules prevented fishermen near UK shores from putting acoustic devices on their nets to deter dolphins. The government said it was committed to "restoring oceans to good health" and had been trialling deterrents since 2019. Fishermen say they have been working closely with conservation organisations. The report highlighted the work of fisherman Rex Harrison, who redesigned his nets in order to reduce bird bycatch. Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary In 2023, seabirds were found trapped in fishing nets on Bridlington beach Watson, who fishes on the Dylharis, said the industry took its responsibilities seriously. "The escape hatches are definitely a good thing.
Watch: Seven cheetah cubs born at Whipsnade Zoo
A zoo where cheetah cubs have not been born for 15 years is celebrating the arrival of seven. Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire said first-time mum Amira had given birth to four cubs on 18 May. Amira's sister, Zara, had a litter of three just five days later. Keepers at the conservation zoo will confirm the sexes of the cubs, who do not have names yet, at the new arrivals' first health check, at eight weeks old. The zoo said the birth of the cubs had been a "huge boost" for the conservation of northern cheetahs, an endangered subspecies. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. 2 hours ago Conservation Share Save Aerial pictures show caravans on newly built pitches near an existing site at the edge of a village. Bedford alpinist Fay Manners reflects on having skied down Mount Ranrapalca's icy south-west ridge. The footage shows the plane taking off then losing altitude before disappearing behind some trees. Fans celebrate a return to League One after a 3-0 victory over Tranmere Rovers. Affinity Water says it apologises for any disruption caused. The camel is named after the first female fellow of the Zoological Society of London, Sophia Raffles. Video shows the top of the 5G mast engulfed in flames after a suspected arson attack. Alex Goulding claims another world record for the most plyometric 180-degree push-ups in 60 seconds. Motorway cameras capture the car hitting the central reservation before continuing badly damaged. The attack took place in hospital, where the man had been taken after his arrest over a car crash. "People have horrendous periods and think they just have to live with it... [but] you don’t," she says. Police had to drive through deep floodwater to find the Toyota Hilux hidden close to the A421. Running at speed and flipping a pancake like your life depends on it is all part of the tradition. Olney Pancake Race in Buckinghamshire has been held since 1445 and claims to be the world's oldest. Crews have just a few hours overnight to resurface the runway so planes can take off in the morning. A trainer breaks a Guinness World Record for the number of push-ups-with-a-difference in a minute. Police say they arrested a driver after the chase from Bedford to Luton. Ornithologist Jack Baddams says the video is "really cool".
Science ‘under attack’ from fossil fuel interests at UN climate talks
Share: X (Twitter) Facebook LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Print Dozens of countries have called out growing “coordinated attacks” -year talks in Bonn. Under the banner of ‘Friends of Science’, in an overflowing press conference room lined with negotiators and civil society supporters, diplomats from Fiji, Nepal, the European Union, Switzerland, Sierra Leone and Panama vowed to ensure that decision-making in the UN climate process remains based on the “best available science”. That includes reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN's climate science body, they said. Log in here → This article is for subscribers Our reporters are in the negotiating rooms at the Bonn climate talks. This is the coverage that other outlets often skip — get unlimited access from £40/quarter. keep reading → Or £130/year — best value. ×Log in to your account Forgot your password? Dozens of countries have called out growing “coordinated attacks” -year talks in Bonn. Under the banner of ‘Friends of Science’, in an overflowing press conference room lined with negotiators and civil society supporters, diplomats from Fiji, Nepal, the European Union, Switzerland, Sierra Leone and Panama vowed to ensure that decision-making in the UN climate process remains based on the “best available science”. That includes reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN's climate science body, they said. Saudi Arabia is dependent on oil and gas exports, while India largely relies on coal to power its economic development. One negotiator said that research on how climate action can be equitable for developing countries, produced , had been published too late to be incorporated into the last IPCC assessment report in 2023. This incident led the Indian government to try and discredit the IPCC, they said. Some Indian scientists have argued that the IPCC’s scenarios are unfair on developing countries. The UN climate process needs ambition – the law demands it Since the start of the latest IPCC assessment cycle, known as AR7, a battle over the timing has dragged on for over two years at successive IPCC meetings, with governments repeatedly failing to find a breakthrough. A large majority of nations have been pushing for an accelerated timeline that would ensure the AR7 reports can be fed into the UN's global stocktake. But a group of countries, including Saudi Arabia, India, China, Russia and Kenya, have said at previous IPCC meetings they want a longer process, arguing a fast-tracked assessment would put a burden on developing countries with limited resources.
Apocalypse when? ‘Earth’s Black Box’ to be installed in remote Tasmanian airfield
An artist's impression of the Earth's Black Box, which is expected to be installed near Queenstown, Tasmania, in December. Photograph: Earth's Black Box View image in fullscreen An artist's impression of the Earth's Black Box, which is expected to be installed near Queenstown, Tasmania, in December. Photograph: Earth's Black Box Apocalypse when? ‘Earth’s Black Box’ to be installed in remote Tasmanian airfield Rouser Lab says the steel structure will record ‘every step’ humanity takes towards climate catastrophe Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our email, free app or daily news podcast It was designed to survive the apocalypse, as humanity’s last testament to its failure. But for a while it seemed the “Earth’s Black Box” hadn’t even survived its own planning process. Now, five years after it was announced to much fanfare, followed , the box is back. Its creators say parts assembly is under way and, in December, the full monolith will be installed near Queenstown on the edge of a remote western Tasmanian airfield. Only one thing is certain, your actions, inactions, and interactions are now being recorded.” The project’s inspiration is an aeroplane’s flight recorder, also known as a “black box” (despite usually being orange), which stores data within crash-proof casing to help investigators piece together the causes of accidents. That was also an Australian invention: the prototype was put together at a government research lab in Melbourne in 1954. The Earth’s Black Box was announced to coincide with the UN’s 2021 Cop26 climate talks in Glasgow. Digital hard drives were turned on to begin recording data from the talks, to be transferred later to the physical box. MapBut then all mysteriously fell quiet. The last – and only – posts on its Instagram page are black tiles which form a 3x3 box from October 2021. Some wondered if it was all just performance art or a PR stunt, owing to the fact the project was dreamed up , an Australian not-for-profit “experimental environmental communications agency”, rather than scientists. Its artistic director, Jonathan Kneebone, says the project is now being coordinated ’s Black Box Foundation, a registered charity dedicated to the idea. “It will be approximately five years to the day that we are finally able to install the work,” he told Guardian Australia. Antarctica’s west coast missing an area of sea ice the size of France as temperatures peak 20C above average “In those five years, we have been evolving the design, data storage systems, source materials, web platform – as well as developing funding models to sustain the project into the future.” Rouser Lab claims its climate interventions have had 4bn media impressions worldwide, including for another “techno-obelisk”, also yet to be built, that will constantly transmit a Climate S.
Weather
View All 5Today: Light Rain Showers, Minimum Temperature: 15°C (59°F) Maximum Temperature: 24°C (75°F)
This video can not be played Today will see partly cloudy conditions to start, but dry. In the afternoon, showers will move in from the west, but many will escape dry. The odd rumble of thunder cannot be ruled out. Tonight will be largely dry and cloudy. Large clear spells will develop at times but as the night progresses cloud will build in again from the west. Tomorrow will become largely cloudy in the morning with spells of rain moving in from the west in the afternoon. These will be mostly light in nature, falling heavy for some at times. Outlook for Saturday to Monday Sunday will start mostly sunny with just a few patches of cloud. Any lingering cloud will clear later on, with plenty of sunshine. Sunday will see patches of mist and fog for some, but these will lift soon leaving it sunny and fine through the rest of the day. Monday could be an unsettle day with heavy, thundery showers moving in. Average wind speed 4 Miles per hour, Southerly4Average wind speed 7 Kilometres per hour, Southerly7 Humidity: Humidity: 77%,77% Visibility: Visibility, not available,-- Pressure: Pressure: 1015 millibars, Falling,1015mb, Falling Observation station: Manchester Airport (53.350° North, 2.283° West)Observation station: Manchester Airport (53.350° N, 2.283° W) Our favourite Weather Watchers photos nearby Report for Standish, Wigan Northern Rambler Reported , Cheshire East MeanderingManshipsReported , Rochdale EarthstarReported , Stockport sunset_twilightReported by sunset_twilight
Friday: Thundery Showers, Minimum Temperature: 15°C (59°F) Maximum Temperature: 25°C (77°F)
This video can not be played Today will see partly cloudy conditions to start, but dry. In the afternoon, showers will move in from the west, but many will escape dry. The odd rumble of thunder cannot be ruled out. Tonight will be largely dry and cloudy. Large clear spells will develop at times but as the night progresses cloud will build in again from the west. Tomorrow will become largely cloudy in the morning with spells of rain moving in from the west in the afternoon. These will be mostly light in nature, falling heavy for some at times. Outlook for Saturday to Monday Sunday will start mostly sunny with just a few patches of cloud. Any lingering cloud will clear later on, with plenty of sunshine. Sunday will see patches of mist and fog for some, but these will lift soon leaving it sunny and fine through the rest of the day. Monday could be an unsettle day with heavy, thundery showers moving in. Average wind speed 4 Miles per hour, Southerly4Average wind speed 7 Kilometres per hour, Southerly7 Humidity: Humidity: 77%,77% Visibility: Visibility, not available,-- Pressure: Pressure: 1015 millibars, Falling,1015mb, Falling Observation station: Manchester Airport (53.350° North, 2.283° West)Observation station: Manchester Airport (53.350° N, 2.283° W) Our favourite Weather Watchers photos nearby Report for Standish, Wigan Northern Rambler Reported , Cheshire East MeanderingManshipsReported , Rochdale EarthstarReported , Stockport sunset_twilightReported by sunset_twilight
Scorching Heat for the Summer Solstice: The Dangerous Longevity of Europe’s New June Heatwave
While the meteorological summer has barely officially begun, the summer solstice is coming up this weekend. And it arrives in style, with a new massive, high-pressure Heat Dome settled over the continent. It will trap a stagnant layer of scorching-hot Saharan air and trigger an early-season heatwave of above-normal intensity from the Iberian Peninsula to the capitals of Western Europe. The soil in many regions remains exceptionally dry from a record-breaking hot spell Europe experienced in late May, which strips away the Earth’s natural ability to cool itself through evaporation. This will allow surface temperatures to skyrocket even faster through the remainder of June. The temperature forecast numbers are flashing red, with Portugal and Spain bracing for temperatures that could reach 45 °C (113 °F), while cities like Paris are facing extended, multi-day stretches in the upper 30s to low 40s, roughly 10 to 15 °C above seasonal averages. It will become extremely hot in France and parts of Western and Central Europe as the Heat Dome strengthens and expands northward and eastward over the weekend and into the following week. The driving force behind this pattern is similar to the one in May, a strengthening upper-level ridge building out of Northwest Africa and expanding across western and central Europe. The following animation delivers a quick overview. Before we dig into the details about the pattern evolution in Europe, lets examine what is the main driver behind these extensive warm waves and heatwaves in general. What is a Heat Dome? When significant, record-breaking heatwaves occurred in Europe, the United States, and Canada in the past, the Heat Dome was a contributing factor. The heat dome is usually the dominant feature of summer weather patterns on both continents. We refer to this phenomenon as a heat dome when extremely high temperatures develop. Here’s how it works and why understanding it on a broader scale is essential. The upper-level ridge pattern, or very warm air mass in the higher altitudes, also known as the Upper High (or blocking High), usually forms the heat dome. This weather pattern brings high, and sometimes record-breaking, temperatures to the region below. This term is used when a broad area of high-pressure air parks over a large portion of the continent. If the event is remarkably stable and extreme, it usually lasts several days or weeks. The heat dome works like a lid on a pot. The extensive dome traps warm air at all levels underneath, with layers sinking toward the ground.
Shallow M6.6 earthquake hits central Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Epicenter of M6.6 earthquake in central Mid-Atlantic Ridge on June 17, 2026. Credit: TW/SAM, Google The epicenter was located 1 031 km (640 miles) NW of Georgetown (population 538), Ascension, Saint Helena, and 1 222 km (760 miles) SW of Bonthe (population 10 206), Sierra Leone. Based on all available data, there is no tsunami threat from this earthquake. The earthquake occurred along the central Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a major divergent plate boundary where the South American and African plates move apart, generating frequent earthquakes associated with seafloor spreading. Epicenter of M6.6 earthquake in central Mid-Atlantic Ridge on June 17, 2026. Credit: TW/SAM, Google Regional seismicity References: 1 M6.6 earthquake central Mid-Atlantic Ridge – USGS – June 17, 2026 2 M6.6 earthquake central Mid-Atlantic Ridge – EMSC – June 17, 2026 Teo Blašković I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers. news.
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