Latest Stories
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Shock turns to anger after Beirut explosion
Should ammonium nitrate be banned? The deadly explosion in Lebanon is just the latest caused by a common fertiliser. Some say it is essential to modern farming. But others want it outlawed.
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New penguin colonies discovered – from space
Is this good news for humans? Emperor penguins are the world’s early warning system. Could the discovery of new colonies give us any hope that Earth has begun to reverse the climate crisis?
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Endangered tigers roaring back across Asia
Are tigers the key to saving the planet? The big cat is bouncing back, with numbers rising across six countries. But some warn this news is a distraction from a gloomy global picture.
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Experts predict ‘jaw-dropping’ fertility crash
Is this a good thing? Scientists say we have greatly overestimated population growth. While environmentalists might be happy, a lack of young people could also lead to terrible consequences.
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China crisis as Huawei ban provokes Xi Jinping
Is it too late for the West to resist China? The UK’s decision, yesterday, to ban Huawei from its 5G network has dramatically upped the stakes in a battle of economics and ideology.
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Mystery elephant deaths spark new virus fears
Is a new pandemic starting in Botswana? Hundreds of elephants have dropped dead in southern Africa, baffling environmentalists. Scientists now fear a lethal disease could be the cause.
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Insects in amber hint at Jurassic dreams
Could scientists bring dinosaurs back to life? Bugs preserved in amber offer a window into prehistory. But resurrecting the dinosaurs is not going to be as simple as it is in the movies.
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Arctic on fire as temperature records broken
Are we facing the end of the world? Or a new beginning? With a heatwave in Siberia, the climate crisis is more alarming than ever – but many see a moment of opportunity.
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‘To care for ourselves, we must care for nature’
Could animal poaching lead to a new killer virus? On World Environment Day 2020, we investigate the powerful links between human health and our attitude to nature and wildlife.
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Sick and on fire: the end of the American era
Will this be the week when it became clear the American era was over? As thousands take to the streets and a president threatens his own people, many predict a historic turning point.
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Invasion of the 94-stone body snatchers
Is it time to stop the return of the bear? Once threatened with extinction, these wild animals are making a comeback, raising serious concerns about the dangers to people and livestock.
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Heated exchanges – and maybe another Cold War
Has a second Cold War begun? China has been busy flexing its muscles in Hong Kong and elsewhere, suggesting that it sees the Covid-19 pandemic as a chance to claim global leadership.
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Send in the troops – there’s trouble on Mars
Is space the next war zone? As the superpowers step up their competing exploration programmes, experts worry that future conflicts could be decided outside the Earth’s atmosphere.
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Mile-wide asteroid gives Earth a near miss
Are asteroids our biggest threat? Several giant space missiles passed us by recently – and scientists are coming up with amazing plans to protect the planet from intergalactic impact.
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First baby bison born in the wild since 1876
Should this be the biggest news story of the day? These mighty beasts were driven to near-extinction 200 years ago. Conservationists are celebrating the birth as a historic turning point.