Science & Earth

Drones and mountain rescue teams are searching for 64-year-old Brian McGillicuddy, who has been missing since failing to return from a planned Ben Nevis trip; searches continue in difficult conditions.

The Met Office forecasts parts of the UK could reach about 18C on Wednesday (Feb 25) after a mild Tuesday, with central and southern areas expecting brighter spells while northwestern parts remain rainier.

Researchers report that the AFOLU sector accounts for over 20% of global emissions and that EU agricultural funding since 2021 has directed substantially more to direct payments than to rural development, leaving higher-impact measures relatively underfunded.

Recent discoveries in China indicate eastern Asia played an important role in Homo evolution over the past 2 million years, and some researchers have proposed new classifications that reassign certain archaic fossils, including material linked to Denisovans, as Homo juluensis and Homo longi.

A new Nature Communications paper used more than 8.3 million records and a list of about 21,000 named species to estimate a conservative global total of 24,705–26,164 bee species, and it reports most undiscovered species are likely in Asia and Africa.

The Water Minister spoke at the World Water‑Tech Innovation Summit about the government's New Vision for Water White Paper, published last month, and set out plans for long-term reforms toward a digitally enabled, resilient water system by 2050.

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park has given conditional approval for a multi-headed cold freshwater shower at Saundersfoot Harbour, sited in a coastal rockery between the slipway and the car park. Documents say wastewater will be trapped, routed to a reservoir and soakaway, and reused to water nearby planting, and a funding bid to Visit Wales has been submitted in parallel.

The minister of electricity and energy has proposed suspending South Africa's carbon tax after reported pressure from fossil fuel lobbies, and climate scientists argue the law should remain because it is legislated and tied to the country's climate obligations.

A Lincoln balloon seller refused an order for 200 balloons and has called for a national ban on balloon releases because of their environmental and wildlife impacts; industry and conservation groups say released balloons create dangerous litter and more than 100 UK local authorities already ban releases.

Researchers found the high-pitched component of a horse's whinny comes from a whistle-like mechanism in the voice box, while the low tones arise from vibrating tissues in the larynx.

Parts of Somaliland, including Lallays, report little or no rain since last June or July, harming crops and local livelihoods. Somaliland and Israel have begun civilian cooperation on water, with a first group of 25 water workers sent for training and technical visits planned.

The Met Office said parts of southern England could reach 18C on Wednesday with the sunniest days midweek; rain and cloud are expected to return later in the week as low pressure moves in.

Two UK law changes were reported: primate licensing will be phased in with a transition from 6 April 2025 and enforcement from 6 April 2026, and new livestock-worrying provisions with expanded police powers and increased penalties are due on 18 March 2026.

A gas tanker overturned and exploded on a highway in the Renca area of Santiago, Chile, killing four people and injuring at least 17; authorities say an investigation has been opened.

Galápagos National Park released 158 juvenile hybrid giant tortoises, aged 8–13, on Floreana Island to begin restoring the island’s depleted ecosystem; the animals carry an estimated 40–80% of the genetic makeup of the extinct Chelonoidis niger.

Miliband's constituency is described as a microcosm of a wider national debate between supporters of expanding solar projects and residents seeking to protect landscapes, wildlife and rural tranquillity.

Farmers including Tom Warren are grazing sheep under solar panels near Dubbo; one farm has more than 30,000 panels across about 50 hectares and produces roughly 20 megawatts.

NASA completed a second wet dress rehearsal for Artemis II, loading the SLS rocket with more than 2.6 million litres of propellant and keeping hydrogen leaks below the agency's 16% limit.

NASA plans to launch Artemis 2 on March 6 (early March 7 in the UK) for a roughly 10-day crewed flight around the Moon, and the date was finalised after a detailed fueling test and launch-day walkthrough.

Bottled water is being delivered in Killin after diesel contaminated a local water treatment plant, and Scottish Water has warned residents to use tap water only for flushing.

Essex Police reported that officers, the RSPCA and council staff found deceased animals and unsanitary conditions at the Save A Paw rehoming centre in Carys Hill, Billericay, and 41 pets were recorded as dead across visits. A man, Oaveed Rahman, was convicted and sentenced for causing unnecessary suffering in relation to some animals and admitted fraud; further details about any next legal steps are undetermined at this time.

The EPA told a federal appeals court it will defend the Biden-era rule that requires most cities to replace lead service lines within ten years, and said it will develop tools to support practical implementation.

A new study links a recent rise in global monthly temperatures to a long La Nina followed by a shift toward El Nino, and NOAA this month adopted a relative tropical index to redefine when El Nino and La Nina are declared.

A captive 'back‑breeding' programme returned 158 juvenile Floreana giant tortoises to Floreana island, restoring a subspecies absent since the 1840s. The reintroduction followed invasive rat and feral cat removal that began in 2023 and is part of a wider ecological restoration effort.

A Telegraph article by Ben Farmer, published 20 February 2026, reports that DNA from a lion was used to bring criminal charges against suspected poachers for the first time. The available excerpt does not include further details about the case or upcoming legal steps.

Parts of southern England may reach about 16C this weekend, while rain continues and more than 50 flood warnings remain in parts of the southwest.

More than 7.1 million birds have been reported affected in Pennsylvania, mainly at Lancaster County egg-laying sites, and state officials say they are deploying extra personnel and expanding testing to track the outbreaks.

NASA's administrator said leadership and decision failures at Boeing and within NASA contributed to the 2024 Starliner mission problems that left two astronauts at the ISS for about nine months, and the agency has classified the incident as a "Type A" mishap.

Temperatures are forecast to reach about 16C in parts of southern England this weekend after recent frosty and rainy conditions; forecasters warn the milder spell will be brief and unsettled weather from Atlantic systems will bring further rain and flood risk.

A report by Geoffrey Watson alleges long-running corruption within the Victorian CFMEU and redacted chapters claim large taxpayer losses; an administrator has removed those chapters and sacked staff, and questions remain about what Premier Jacinta Allan knew and when.