‘Incredibly encouraging’: healing the scars of traditional anchors in Dorset’s seagrass meadows 21. September 2026 (13:00) Eco-moorings help to restore seagrass in just five years, boosting sealife such as seahorses, eels and crabsOne of the UK’s most precious underwater habitats – Dorset’s seagrass meadows – is recovering thanks to “eco moorings” designed to prevent the seabed being ripped up, a study has revealed.Scars caused by traditional anchors in some areas of seagrass in Studland Bay have almost entirely vanished, which is boosting the number of seahorses that thrive in the submerged meadows. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Starbucks baristas reel from surges in health insurance costs: ‘I’m considering a second job’ 21. September 2026 (13:00) Several workers say they’re opting to go without health coverage due to premium costs soaring this yearStarbucks workers say their health insurance premiums have soared this year, in some cases more than doubling, according to a recent survey conducted by Starbucks Workers United.The survey of more than 130 Starbucks workers in both unionized and non-unionized stores, shared exclusively with the Guardian, found baristas are experiencing significant hikes in costs for their health insurance coverage starting 1 October. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Google fined more than €400m by Irish regulator over its use of location data 21. September 2026 (12:57) Watchdog says users may have been unaware their information was used to target adverts or infer their interestsGoogle has been fined more than €400m (£345m) over the way it processed users’ location data, following claims that the tech giant had manipulated users into agreeing to be constantly tracked on their mobile phones.The fine, imposed by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC), comes after complaints from multiple European consumer organisations that Google was following every step users took. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Latest German election humiliation puts Merz on borrowed time as CDU unrest grows 21. September 2026 (12:04) Chancellor acknowledges disastrous state election results but vow to push on is likely to further alienate voters, and his own party• Europe live – latest updatesFriedrich Merz called it a “disaster”, and that was even before the full scale of the catastrophe for himself and his conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) came into view after Sunday’s state elections.In what one outlet called a “power move”, the German chancellor made a highly unusual televised speech just minutes after polls closed in the states of Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, attempting to get ahead of the narrative with a pledge to stay on and fight for his economic recovery programme. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
