• £15bn warm homes plan promises ‘rooftop revolution’ but no gas boiler ban

    The government has unveiled a major package of loans and grants for renewable tech to cut household energy bills, but has stopped short of committing to a 2035 ban on new gas boilers. The long-awaited warm homes plan has been unveiled by the Labour government, which focuses on incentives to install green technology such as solar panels, heat pumps and batteries with no legally binding phase-out on gas boilers. Originally gas boilers were meant to be banned from 2035 but the warm homes plan makes no mention of this. Instead it focuses on various incentives to encourage households to install green technologies to help cut household energy bills. According to the government, the plan will help bring down the costs of home clean energy products. The hope is that by enabling homeowners to…

  • Deep-sea landers to probe mysterious source of ‘dark oxygen’

    Two landers capable of withstanding 1,200 times the pressure on the Earth’s surface will journey into the depths of the ocean later this year to gain a better understanding of the origin of ‘dark oxygen’. Almost all deep sea life needs oxygen to survive, but sunlight barely penetrates beyond 200 metres deep, which means photosynthesis cannot occur. Scientists previously believed that photosynthesis and oxygenation on the surface, coupled with swirling ocean currents, eventually transported oxygenated water into the depths. But a major recent theory postulates the existence of ‘dark oxygen’ after researchers discovered in 2024 that metallic nodules in the deep sea appeared to be producing the gas. These nodules, which contain highly sought-after metals, could clarify how animal life is distributed…

  • 1MW wave energy project in Portugal approved for construction

    A 1MW wave energy installation in Portugal is a step closer to construction after engineers confirmed the site’s favourable ocean conditions. Swedish renewable energy firm Eco Wave Power Global plans to build a 1MW wave energy station nown as ‘the Gallery’ at the Barra do Douro breakwater in the northern city of Porto. Mounting the firm’s onshore/near-shore wave energy converters on this existing breakwater structure, located beneath Porto’s protective sea wall, eliminates the need to build any additional offshore platforms. Eco Wave Power’s system works by capturing the motion of incoming waves and converting it into electricity. Key to the design are modular floaters, two to three metres long, that rise and fall as waves break against the breakwater, driving hydraulic pistons that power…

  • Plans to ease nuclear build rules could spell disaster for nature, says Wildlife Trusts

    Government plans to cut environmental protections in a bid to make it easier to build nuclear power plants is “misguided” and based on “misleading advice”, the Wildlife Trusts has said. Published in November 2025, the Nuclear Regulatory Review proposes a number of changes to the habitats regulations so that developers building nuclear plants would face less stringent requirements to avoid harming protected nature sites before they build. In theory, it would allow developers to proceed, even if there is potential harm to nearby habitats, by moving directly to off-site compensation or mitigation rather than blocks to their original proposals. But the Wildlife Trusts has said the rule changes would have “devastating consequences” for what remains of Britain’s natural landscape and warned…

  • Scottish distillery tests aluminium bottles as a lower-carbon alternative to glass

    A Scottish distillery is assessing the viability of offering its whisky in lightweight, recyclable aluminium packaging instead of glass. Stirling Distillery, a small distillery based in the Scottish town of Stirling, has teamed up with scientists at Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University to test how its whisky behaves when stored in aluminium rather than traditional glass bottles. Aluminium bottles are light and thin while remaining strong, which would help cut down on shipping weight, transport costs and energy use. Compared to glass, it is also more readily and easily recyclable. Kathryn Holm, marketing director at Stirling Distillery, said: “Glass has long been central to whisky’s image; it’s weighty, and evokes the craftsmanship of the spirit. But it is also heavy to transport and relies…

  • Mercedes‑Benz unveils concept for exclusive real estate project in Dubai

    Dubai is set to see a 12‑skyscraper development added to its skyline following the announcement of the “world’s first” Mercedes‑Benz-branded masterplanned community. The project is a joint undertaking between Mercedes‑Benz Places, a branded real‑estate and lifestyle initiative from the German automaker, and Dubai‑based property developer Binghatti. Described as a “city within a city”, this huge project will span nearly 9 million square feet (836,000 square metres) and comprises more than 13,000 residences within 12 towers. Designed as a self-contained, integrated urban district, Mercedes‑Benz Places | Binghatti City aims to offer residents everything they need in one place, from residential towers and retail to leisure, parks, cultural spaces, wellness areas and pedestrian-friendly streets…

  • Honda reveals towable solar-powered trailer that can sleep a family of four

    Honda has unveiled a solar-powered towable travel trailer designed to be lightweight so it can be attached to the back of compact SUVs. Dubbed the Base Station Prototype, the trailer can be fitted with various optional accessories, including an air conditioner, an external shower and an external kitchen, complete with running water and an induction stovetop. It comes with five side windows as default but these can be removed and replaced with the accessories depending on how users want to customise the trailer. The designers were able to keep the weight under 700kg by utilising a fibre-glass upper shell resting on a full aluminium cage and chassis. This allows it to be towed by a wider range of lower-power vehicles, including electric SUVs. The top of the Base Station Prototype can be…

  • Facial recognition pilot in south London leads to 100 arrests in three months

    A live facial recognition (LFR) technology trial on a busy south London street resulted in more than 100 arrests over three months, according to the Metropolitan Police. The pilot was launched in October 2025 and saw LFR cameras mounted on existing street furniture – such as lamp posts – at two locations on either ends of North End, a pedestrianised road in Croydon town centre. This marked the first time that Metropolitan Police in London operated LFR deployments without need for a police van. Previously, the cameras were mounted on vans and could only be used when officers were present in the vehicle. This pilot, however, enabled the Met to monitor camera feeds remotely during deployments, making operations more efficient. But the cameras were only switched on when officers were on the…

  • First structural engineering manual for bamboo could boost sustainable construction

    The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) has released comprehensive guidance about the design of permanent bamboo structures for the first time. Bamboo has been used in traditional construction for centuries in countries such as China, Indonesia, Colombia and Vietnam. But it has seen renewed interest as a key material in modern buildings as engineers and architects look for lower-carbon alternatives to steel, concrete and timber. Bamboo is a fast-growing grass that can be harvested in three to five years and regrows without replanting, absorbing large amounts of carbon dioxide as it grows. Structurally, it has a high strength-to-weight ratio, comparable to steel in tension, while requiring far less energy to process than concrete or metals. The detailed design manual from IStructE…

  • UK’s first rare earth magnet recycling plant in 25 years opens

    A Birmingham-based rare earth magnet recycling plant aims to reduce the UK’s reliance on imports and cut carbon emissions. The commercial-scale facility uses a “ground-breaking” hydrogen-based process developed by the Magnetic Materials Group at the University of Birmingham. This hydrogen processing of magnet scrap (HPMS) technology efficiently extracts rare earth magnets from end-of-life products without the need to fully disassemble them. Rare earth magnets are among the critical minerals needed for the development of low-carbon technologies such as wind turbines and electric vehicles as well as medical equipment, pumps, robotics and electronics. The recycling facility at Tyseley Energy Park will be able to extract over 400kg of rare earth alloy powders per batch and will directly…

  • UK to bolster Ukraine’s energy infrastructure after sustained Russian attacks

    The UK will give Ukraine £20m to help bolster its energy infrastructure after it incurred significant damage from Russian strikes. Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure throughout the war, severely damaging key power plants, grid networks and heating systems. Large thermal power stations including Trypilska (pictured above) and Zmiivska have been permanently disabled by Russian fire, while combined heat and power facilities like Kharkiv TEC-5 were knocked offline by missile and drone attacks. Russian forces have also hit high-voltage substations and transmission lines, and caused extensive damage to hydroelectric facilities on the Dnipro River. But with temperatures across Ukraine plummeting to as low as -20°C over the winter, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians…

  • TikTok to roll out age-detection tech in Europe for under-13s

    TikTok will introduce technology to tighten age checks across Europe to keep under‑13s off the platform. The social media platform said it would introduce the technology “in the coming weeks” as part of compliance and safety efforts amid regulatory pressure. Owned by Chinese tech firm ByteDance, TikTok is one of the most popular social media apps, enabling users to watch, create and share short videos. It is known to be highly additive, with more than 1.6 billion people worldwide using it every month. In Europe alone, TikTok has more than 200 million monthly users – roughly one in three citizens on the continent. With many of these users being teenagers, the firm has faced pressure under EU data protection and safety expectations to better identify and remove accounts belonging to children…

  • AWS launches new cloud service entirely located within the EU

    Amazon Web Services (AWS) has launched the AWS European Sovereign Cloud, an independently operated cloud infrastructure located entirely within the European Union. The European Sovereign Cloud will be physically and logistically separate from other AWS regions, such as the US. This ensures that sensitive data and workloads utilising this service remain within the region. European regulators and business leaders have previously criticised AWS and other US-based cloud providers for a lack of independent control, raising concerns that sensitive data stored in Europe could still fall under US legal jurisdiction. Amazon says this new independently operated cloud will offer its European users sovereignty and operational independence to meet strict EU data rules, while still enabling access…

  • UK electrical wiring standard update brings new rules for low-voltage installations

    The IET has announced that the latest amendment to the UK’s national standard for low-voltage electrical installations, BS 7671, will be available from 15 April 2026. Co-published with the British Standards Institution, Requirements for Electrical Installations: IET Wiring Regulations is a rulebook used by electricians, electrical engineers, inspectors and building control to ensure wiring is safe and legal. The 18th edition of the rulebook, BS 7671:2018, was published in 2018. Since then, several amendments have been issued, and the fourth amendment will be available for purchase from April, featuring an orange cover. BS 7671 is based on European standards, which in turn are generally based on international standards. According to the IET, standard development is an ongoing process to…

  • Nasa astronauts land back on Earth early after health concern on the ISS

    Four astronauts have landed back on Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) after the decision was taken last week to end their mission early due to a medical problem. Nasa’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission safely splashed down early Thursday morning in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego carrying US astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. The team had already spent five months aboard the ISS and were originally not expected to return until next month. It is the first time astronauts have been evacuated due to a health issue since the ISS was put into Earth’s orbit in 1998. Nasa has been careful not to give any clues about which of the four passengers had the medical issue, but…

  • Autonomous AI screens for cognitive decline using routine clinical notes

    An autonomous AI system capable of screening for cognitive decline using routine clinical documentation has been developed by researchers at the Boston-based Mass General Brigham. The system, which requires no human intervention or prompting after deployment, achieved 98% specificity in real-world validation testing: that is, the rate at which it reduces false positives. Corresponding author on the study Hossein Estiri said: “This AI system includes five specialised agents that critique each other and refine their reasoning, just like clinicians would in a case conference.” Cognitive impairment remains significantly underdiagnosed in routine clinical care, and traditional screening tools and cognitive tests are highly resource-intensive to administer and difficult for patients to access…

  • UK government scraps unpopular compulsory digital ID plan for workers

    The compulsory digital ID scheme, proving a worker’s right to work in the UK, has been dropped by the government amid widespread backlash. The government has said that digital IDs, initially planned for launch in 2029, will no longer be mandatory for proving the right to work. Workers will instead have the choice of using other documents to verify their identity, such as an electronic visa or passport. First announced in September 2025, the government planned to introduce digital ID cards in a bid to cut down on illegal working and make it easier for people to use government services. It said that the new ID, which would be downloaded and used on smartphones, would make it harder for people who lack the right to find work from earning money, described as one of the key ‘pull factors’…

  • Microsoft pledges community-first approach to AI data centres that won’t drive up bills

    Tech giant Microsoft will cover electricity costs and reduce water use under a new initiative to ease the impact of its AI data centre expansion. With its new ‘Community-First AI Infrastructure’ initiative, Microsoft has pledged to “responsibly” build its AI infrastructure to help “strengthen, rather than strain” local communities. The rapid expansion of AI data centres is driving demand for vast amounts of land, electricity and water, increasing pressure on local power grids, water supplies and environmental resources. This has led to local community and political backlash. Brad Smith, vice-chair and president of Microsoft, said the initiative would aim to be a “good neighbour in the communities where we build, own and operate our data centres”. The new initiative includes five community…

  • New Liverpool–Manchester rail line unveiled after HS2 link scrapped

    A new rail route connecting Liverpool with Manchester has been unveiled by the government as part of efforts to boost the Northern economy. The two cities were previously planned to be connected as part of HS2, but Phase 2 of the project was cancelled by Rishi Sunak in 2023 as part of a raft of cost-saving measures. The Department for Transport said the new route, dubbed Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), would help to grow productivity in the North and potentially provide a £40bn uplift to the UK economy annually. The second phase of NPR will include 3 new stations at Manchester Airport, Manchester Piccadilly and Warrington Bank Quay Low Level along the route, with construction beginning in the 2030s. The proposal would also see improvements to busy stations including Liverpool Lime Street…

  • Hinkley Point C receives second nuclear reactor ahead of 2029 opening

    The second nuclear reactor has been delivered to Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant, marking a major milestone before its planned 2029 opening. The power station received its first nuclear reactor in 2023, which has subsequently been installed and welded in place on Unit 1 of the power station. The delivery of the second ‘reactor pressure vessel’ is a major moment for the identical Unit 2. The pressure vessel harnesses nuclear fission to make heat and steam for the turbines. Each steel cylinder weighs in at 500 tonnes and is just 13 metres long. Work on Unit 1 has moved onto the fitting out of pipes, cables and equipment, while Unit 2 is focused on the completion of its buildings following the lifting of the dome last year. According to EDF, the experience gained by the team from constructing…

  • Thermal battery solution turns heat pumps into home energy storage systems – new study

    Home heat pumps can turn into compact energy storage units through a new system developed by Norwegian and Swiss researchers. Researchers at Norwegian research organisation SINTEF and Swiss company COWA Thermal Solutions have developed a compact thermal battery that allows home heat pumps to store excess heat and release it when needed. Galina Simonsen, a senior research scientist at SINTEF, said: “A heat pump that runs constantly is expensive, energy-consuming and can lead to overloading the power grid. With the new batteries, heat pumps combine storage and smart distribution of heat.” Heat pumps extract energy from the environment – air, soil or water – and transport the heat into the home. However, heat demand in households vary depending on usage patterns, time of day, outdoor temperature…

  • Perovskite solar cells made significantly more stable – new study

    New perovskite solar cells are able to retain around 95% of their performance after extended heat testing, according to a new study. A research team at the University of Manchester has enhanced the stability of perovskite solar cells by fine-tuning the small molecules that coat their surface. These molecules, known as amidinium ligands, effectively ‘glue’ the perovskite structure together. Professor Thomas Anthopoulos, professor of emerging optoelectronics at the University of Manchester, who led the research, said: “This could overcome one of the last major hurdles facing perovskite solar cell technology and ensure it lasts long enough for large-scale deployment.’ Perovskite has long been hailed as a game-changer for the next generation of solar power. Solar cells featuring a perovskite…

  • Traffic light ratings introduced for councils on pothole measures

    Motorists in England are now able to scrutinise how swiftly their local highway authority (LHA) is tackling potholes following the introduction of a traffic light system. A map released by the Department for Transport (DfT) grades 154 LHAs based on current road conditions and gives them a red, amber or green rating for the effectiveness of their pothole-fixing measures. The rating also takes into account how much the LHAs are spending on road repairs and whether they are following best practice. Last year, the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) estimated that the cost of repairs to rid England and Wales of its pothole problems and bring the road network up to ‘ideal’ conditions had reached almost £17bn. The government subsequently committed an additional £7.3bn to local road maintenance…

  • SpaceX granted approval to launch another 7,500 next-gen Starlink satellites

    The US government has approved SpaceX’s plan to launch thousands of next-generation Starlink satellites, significantly expanding the company’s global internet service. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said it had authorised SpaceX to deploy an additional 7,500 second-generation (Gen2) Starlink satellites. This brings the total number of satellites the company will have in orbit to around 15,000. The FCC said the approval marked a “significant milestone in global broadband connectivity” by enabling SpaceX to deliver high-speed, low-latency internet service globally. SpaceX began launching its Starlink satellites in 2019. As of January 2026, the constellation consists of over 9,422 satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO). The FCC’s decision will allow SpaceX to upgrade its next…

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