Editor's Choice
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Race for survivors as tsunami death toll soars
Could the disaster in Indonesia have been prevented? On Friday, a devastating tsunami hit the city of Palu just as an official tsunami warning was called off. The death toll is still climbing.
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Exposé reveals dark heart of voluntourism
Should you be a voluntourist? Each year, thousands of young Westerners travel to developing countries to give something back to the most vulnerable. Could they be doing more harm than good?
Latest Stories
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The small strip of sea that could spark a war
Is the US heading towards war with Iran? Tensions have been rising between the two nations for months. Now, a series of attacks in the Gulf of Oman have brought them closer to war.
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Ants rule world, not humans, says new study
Could it be that ants are more powerful than humans? With their mega-cities, transport networks, ventilation, childcare systems, and waste collection they put us to shame, says a new book.
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Hong Kong in shock after worst violence in years
Are we witnessing the last gasp of democracy in Hong Kong? The city’s streets are a battlefield between police and protesters who accuse their leaders of caving in to the might of China.
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Fury as Botswana returns to elephant hunting
Should rich westerners condemn Botswana for returning to elephant hunting? The gentle giants are a natural wonder. But they are also destroying the lives and crops of local farmers.
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Underwater metropolis planned as seas rise
Is the best response to climate change to invent new ways of living? The Japanese Shimizu Corporation plans to build a giant underwater metropolis powered by energy from the seabed.
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Black-spot tourism ‘feeds ghoulish fascination’
Is it tasteless to turn a disaster site into a tourist attraction? Since the release of HBO’s Chernobyl series, tour bookings to the site of the nuclear catastrophe have soared by 40%.
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Climate is our third world war, says Nobel winner
Is this a fair comparison? The economist Joseph Stiglitz says, today, that our lives are at stake — just as they were in World War Two. Donald Trump, marking D-Day, thinks it is a hoax.
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Death, fame and the lure of the mountains
Is the heroic mountaineer who takes on superhuman challenges really just a selfish misfit? As this year’s toll mounts, climbers themselves admit that it is a dangerously addictive pleasure.
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Climate change, #MeToo and Game of Thrones
Blood. Ice. Death. Fire. Revenge. Last night, after eight years on our screens, the epic fantasy series finally reached its end. But what was Game of Thrones really about?
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Where no man has ever been, diver finds plastic bag
An explorer has completed the deepest-ever, solo dive, to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. There he found a plastic bag and some sweet wrappers. How do we stop the desecration of nature?
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A world without humans could be a new Eden
Yesterday, a major UN report warned that a great extinction has begun on Earth, threatening human life. But the planet is a living organism and would thrive without us, say scientists.
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One million species at risk of extinction
Rainforests cleared. Oceans poisoned. Animals dying. Yesterday, a major UN report warned of the disastrous effects that humans are having on nature — and its consequences for humanity.
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Nature takes over in a world without humans
A thousand years after humans become extinct, trees replace skyscrapers, once-endangered animals roam across the planet — and global warming is reversed. Is this a new Eden?
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Net zero: Britain must plant billions of trees
The UK should lead the global fight against climate change by cutting greenhouse gasses to nearly zero by 2050, says a powerful independent committee this morning. How realistic is this?
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Joining in: Saving the planet with activism
Over 1,000 people have been arrested. Now, 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg has visited London, urging the Government to listen to protesters and declare a climate emergency. Will it work?