Science & Technology

Published: 17 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Fiji has declared a national HIV emergency after a sharp increase in infections raised concerns about the country’s ability to contain a rapidly changing epidemic. The Pacific island nation, home to fewer than one million people, is facing one of the fastest increases in new HIV infections recorded globally, according to UNAIDS. The emergency declaration was announced by...

Published: 16 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online A long-running attempt to develop an oilfield at Horse Hill in Surrey has entered a new phase after the company that spent years pursuing the project sold its interests for £1m, while the new owners have renewed efforts to secure planning permission for oil extraction. The sale marks a sharp change in the fortunes of the Horse Hill...

Published: 16 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online The European Union has opened discussions on a potentially new form of partnership with Canada, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposing that the country become the bloc’s first associate member. The proposal was made during von der Leyen’s annual State of the Union address in Strasbourg on Wednesday, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attending...

Published: 16 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Anthropic, the artificial intelligence company behind the Claude AI model, has signed an agreement to use a major proposed data centre project in western Queensland, marking the company’s first major data-centre commitment in Australia. The proposed Western Downs Digital Park, near Dalby in Queensland’s Western Downs region, has an estimated value of about A$31.9 billion and is planned...

Published: 16 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online The company that spent more than a decade pursuing oil production at Horse Hill in Surrey has sold its interests in the controversial site for £1m, after the project became the subject of a landmark Supreme Court ruling on climate impacts. The sale marks a major change in direction for the former UK Oil & Gas, which has...

Published: 16 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has stepped up pressure on social media companies over online abuse, intimidation and the publication of private information, saying stronger action is needed to protect people who are targeted because of their work. Nandy criticised Elon Musk’s social media platform X after it did not attend a meeting she hosted with social media...

Published: 16 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online At least three people have died after an NBC news helicopter crashed and caught fire in the Chatsworth neighbourhood of Los Angeles, with the accident occurring while news crews were covering a separate fatal bus collision nearby. The helicopter came down on Tuesday evening close to a single-storey commercial building in the San Fernando Valley. Los Angeles fire...

Published: 16 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online The UK government is preparing to strengthen protections against online harassment and doxxing, with Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy warning that social media platforms must take greater responsibility when users publish private information or target people with intimidation. Nandy criticised Elon Musk’s X after the platform did not attend a meeting she hosted with social media companies to discuss...

Published: 16 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Britain’s already deteriorating road network could face further damage in the coming months as the effects of an exceptionally hot summer combine with the legacy of a wet winter, according to warnings from the RAC and road-surface specialists. The organisations say motorists should prepare for more potholes as prolonged heat and intense ultraviolet radiation weaken asphalt surfaces, leaving...

Published: 16 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online The UK government’s plans to expand Heathrow Airport have come under renewed scrutiny after the independent Climate Change Committee (CCC) said any expansion should be accompanied by measures requiring airlines to fully address their carbon emissions. In advice published on 16 September, the committee said Heathrow could not be expanded consistently with the UK’s carbon budgets and net-zero...