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Met Office forecasters have issued a rare red weather warning for England, with temperatures potentially reaching 40C (104F) in some places. Europe is also dealing with a debilitating heatwave, with schools closed, trains cancelled and France even restricting the consumption of alcohol outdoors to take pressure off the emergency services. The high temperatures coincide with the coming El Niño, which some scientists have nicknamed Godzilla for its predicted strength. To find out whether the two are linked, Ian Sample hears from our Europe climate correspondent, Ajit Niranjan. He explains why it’s so hot, why we could be in for even…

The England and Wales Cricket Board is planning to review a payment of £1.75m from Yorkshire to a company controlled by their chief executive, Sanjay Patel, for consultancy work relating to the Hundred sale.The club’s 2025 accounts, which were circulated to members last month, show that Patel’s company SMP73 Ltd received a commission of £1.75m last year for “corporate broker services in connection with the sale of Northern Superchargers Limited”. Patel was one of the key architects of the Hundred in his previous role at the ECB and was among a small group of executives who received bonuses worth a…

EXCLUSIVE: Abramorama has acquired North American distribution rights to Never Stop Chasing, a documentary portrait of storm chaser Reed Timmer who was an inspiration for Glen Powell’s character in Twisters. Directed by Ken Cole, the film, which has been color graded in Dolby Vision and mixed in Dolby Atmos, is set to release stateside on August 21. The film is described as “a 20-year reckoning with obsession, loss, and the relentless pull of violent weather”. Timmer, who has a Ph.D. in meteorology, rose to fame on Discovery Channel’s hit show Storm Chasers. His maverick persona and armored storm-chasing vehicle, the…

The North-west Stakeholders Forum of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has threatened legal action against former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, who is currently the vice-presidential running mate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). The forum accused Mr Kwankwaso of purchasing nomination forms for all 69 elective positions within the PRP, allegedly using a non-party proxy to execute the plot. Addressing journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Kano, the chairperson of the PRP forum, Abdulkadir Musa, described the development as a coordinated assault on internal democracy. According to Mr Musa, the sweeping purchase covers crucial…

At least 40 people have drowned in France over the last five days as the country endured a scorching heat wave, Sébastien Lecornu, the country’s prime minister, said at an emergency cabinet meeting on Tuesday.Most of the drowning victims were young, many of them teenagers, and swimming in unsupervised areas. Mr. Lecornu called the drownings a “tragic scourge.”Marina Ferrari, a minister whose responsibilities include young people, said in an interview on French radio on Tuesday that the drownings were mostly in bodies of water such as lakes or canals.“During heat waves like this,” she said, “it’s no small matter to…

No 10 says there will be ‘no new major policy or spending commitments’ before Starmer quitsAt the No 10 lobby briefing, the PM’s spokesperson said that Keir Starmer has agreed that there will be “no new major policy or spending commitments” before he stands down.But this did not cover the defence investment plan (Dip), the spokesperson suggested. Starmer seems to regard this as a policy that is already more or less settled.Describing how the civil service would operate during the transition period leading to a new PM taking over, the PM’s spokesperson said: double quotation markThe cabinet secretary [Antonia Romeo]…

The Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) has urged Nigerians to support the President’s re-election bid in 2027 to ensure continuity of policies and programmes aimed at repositioning the country. While declaring the council’s support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general election, it cited what it described as the administration’s commitment to economic reforms, infrastructure development and national stability. Stressing that the endorsement was not based on ethnic considerations but on what the YCE described as a realistic appraisal of the administration’s performance and prospects. The Council said its decision was informed by an assessment…

Kenya’s proposal to monetise non-personal data collected through eCitizen and other State systems should not be treated as a routine revenue measure. It is one of the most important digital governance questions facing the country today. At first glance, the idea appears reasonable. The government holds large volumes of information that could support research, planning, investment, innovation, and better public services. Properly governed, public-sector data can help universities study social trends, counties plan infrastructure, businesses understand markets, and innovators build solutions in health, transport, agriculture, education, and finance. Kenya should not fear a data economy. But it must not build…

• ‘How to regain it, avoid repeat of June 12 tragedy’ • Makes case for strong institutions • Says he was a victim for standing for N/Assembly independence By Olayinka Latona Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has issued a stirring defence of the National Assembly’s role as the “load-bearing wall” of Nigeria’s democracy, arguing that the legislature must be strengthened and protected if the nation is to avoid a repeat of the June 12, 1993 tragedy. Speaking at The Platform Nigeria, organized to celebrate Democracy Day, Saraki opened his address by invoking the significance of June 12 — a date,…

You have full access to this article via your institution. Europe must be a beacon for free and open science.Credit: GettyTen years ago this week, many people around the world awoke to a shock: the United Kingdom had voted to leave the European Union. Overnight, a gigantic question mark appeared over four decades of research collaborations, access to grants, the right of researchers to move freely between the United Kingdom and EU and more. It also meant that the headquarters of EU institutions, such as the European Medicines Agency, would need to relocate from London.Europe as science superpower: what it…