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‘We can’t keep up with demand for eclipse glasses’
A Liverpool post office has sold out of eclipse glasses as people prepare to watch Wednesday evening’s solar eclipse, highlighting intense public interest in the event. Safe viewing is important because looking directly at the Sun without suitable protection can cause lasting eye damage. Karen Smith, who runs Booker Avenue Post Office in south Liverpool,…
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Number of children injured in e-scooter crashes in England surges
A study of three paediatric trauma centres in England found a sharp rise in e-scooter crash injuries among children since 2019, prompting calls for tighter regulation and better safety measures. The findings matter because most incidents involved privately owned scooters being used illegally in public places, often by children too young to ride rental scooters.…
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Pylon Bill Discounts and Unmarried Couples Reform Considered
Ministers weigh new protections for cohabiting couples as nearby households are promised energy-bill relief; farmers warn drought could bring a record-worst harvest.
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Just 20 of 6,600 Defra staff working on climate adaptation amid drought and wildfires
A freedom of information request has found that only 20 of Defra’s 6,613 staff are working on climate adaptation, despite warnings that England is poorly prepared for worsening heatwaves, droughts, floods and wildfires. Critics say the small team reflects a lack of government focus on protecting communities, food security and nature from the effects of…
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How to look at the eclipse if you don’t have solar glasses
The BBC video explains how people can view an eclipse safely when they do not have certified solar-viewing glasses. It matters because looking directly at the Sun without suitable protection can cause serious and permanent eye damage. Viewers should use only approved solar filters or indirect methods, such as projecting the Sun’s image through a…
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Well that’s a surprise…young who WFH say they are feeling lonely
The article reports that younger people who work from home say they are experiencing loneliness, highlighting a possible social cost of remote employment. It matters because early-career workers may rely more heavily on everyday contact with colleagues for friendships, support and professional development. The report contrasts the convenience of working from home with reduced face-to-face…
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More than a million adults taking statins might not need them, study suggests – but experts urge caution
A study suggests that more than one million adults taking statins may not need the cholesterol-lowering drugs, raising questions about how widely they are prescribed for people at relatively low risk of heart disease. However, experts have urged patients not to stop taking statins without medical advice, as the medicines can substantially reduce the risk…
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No surge in bookings but eclipse ‘boosts footfall’
The partial eclipse on Wednesday evening is expected to draw large crowds across the South West and Channel Islands, although tourism leaders say it has not produced a noticeable rise in last-minute hotel bookings. The event matters for local businesses because it could increase visitor numbers, particularly where viewing opportunities coincide with other attractions such…
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East’s astronomers plan for solar eclipse
Astronomers across the East of England are preparing for Wednesday evening’s solar eclipse, with the region set to see a partial eclipse offering the greatest coverage of the Sun since 1999. While areas including Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire will host community watch parties, many professional astronomers, including Cambridge University’s Dr Matt Bothwell,…
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Rare piglet the size of ‘a grapefruit with legs’ born at zoo
An endangered babirusa piglet named Rana, described as the size of a “grapefruit with legs” at birth, has made her public debut at Chester Zoo. Conservationists say her arrival is a “lifeline” for the species, which is being wiped out in the wild by African swine fever that reached the animals’ native Indonesian islands five…