Press play to listen to this article Reports of shelling at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in Russian-occupied Ukraine have reignited fears of nuclear disaster — but experts remain confident that the risk of a Chernobyl-like cataclysm is low. The plant at Zaporizhzhia, which has been under the control of Moscow’s troops since March, was … Read more
Wildfires threaten to sweep across parts of the country this weekend after ministers were told of an “unprecedented” risk to homes and the countryside. Fire chiefs warned government officials during an emergency meeting on Wednesday that destructive blazes are likely to spread into residential areas in the coming days, fueled by bone-dry conditions and a … Read more
IF you happen to see a blue flash zipping by at 30km with two whooping kids in the back and a smiling driver, it might be me cycling past you on my new cargo bike. Give us a wave! After two years of research and indecision, I finally became the proud owner of a shiny … Read more
The dry weather has led to increased calls for a ban on disposable barbecues, over fears they could lead to wildfires. Retailers have been urged to follow the lead of Marks & Spencer, which announced it would stop selling them across the UK this summer. The Met Office’s fire severity index will reach “exceptional” for … Read more
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for sanctions on the Russian nuclear industry and nuclear fuel after an atomic power plant in Ukraine was shelled. “Russian nuclear terror requires a stronger response from the international community, [including] sanctions on the Russian nuclear industry and nuclear fuel,” he said on Twitter after speaking with European Council President … Read more
Hosepipe ban rules were described as “crazy” on Sunday, as it emerged that people with newly laid lawns could still use them to water the grass. Millions of people have been barred from using hosepipes in their homes to wash cars or replenish gardens amid drought conditions. It comes as Britain is braced for another … Read more
With highs hovering near 40 degrees Celsius in much of southern China, pretty much everyone is looking to beat the heat. Some have flooded relatively cooler provinces like Yunnan; others are cranking up their air conditioners and debating whether to pay increasingly extortionate prices for ice cream. For the rest of us, there’s still the … Read more
Dr Alex Bond, one of the researchers involved in the project from the Natural History Museum in London, said human debris impacting avian wildlife is a “global issue”. “When you start looking for this stuff, you’ll see it everywhere,” he told the BBC. “We had reports from Japan, Australia, Sri Lanka, the UK, North America.” … Read more
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There are hopes Auckland Transport will take on community feedback as it considers a $30 million initiative to improve the safety of cyclists. Upper Harbor Drive’s cycle barriers (Source: Supplied) Concrete barriers to keep riders and motorists apart were laid earlier this year on a stretch of the North Shore’s Upper Harbor Drive cycle lane … Read more
The reef, which stretches for nearly 1,500 miles along the coast of Queensland, has been badly impacted by climate change in recent years and has suffered a series of “mass bleaching” events, where stressed coral turns white. However, scientists revealed that the northern and central parts of the reef now have the highest amount of … Read more