Science & Earth

Jupiter reaches opposition this evening and will appear at its biggest and brightest in the eastern sky; binoculars can reveal its four largest moons and the Great Red Spot.

The review examines BAFF's role in systemic lupus erythematosus and notes that belimumab, a BAFF-neutralizing antibody, showed efficacy in a randomized clinical trial in 2011; it also reports that APRIL's role in SLE is less well understood.

Aoibheann Daly, 15, from County Kerry won the 2026 Stripe Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition for GlioScope, a project that uses MRI and AI to predict genetic mutations in brain tumours; she received €7,500 and will represent Ireland at the EU contest in Kiel in September 2026.

A new study found gut bacteria, including Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, can ferment sugars into ethanol in people with auto-brewery syndrome, and stool samples from 22 patients produced significantly more ethanol than samples from 21 household controls.

Heavy snow began on 1 January and has fallen daily in parts of north‑east Scotland, prompting school closures and road disruptions.

A red wind warning covers the Channel Islands as Storm Goretti approaches; officials advise staying at home from 6pm and Channel Island airports will close from 6pm with the storm expected to peak around 9pm–midnight.

The US Drought Monitor reports no part of California is experiencing drought or abnormal dryness, the first time since 2000. Recent heavy rains and several wet years refilled major reservoirs, though Sierra Nevada snowpack is around 70% of average.

Snow from Storm Goretti led to some school closures and train suspensions, while much of South Yorkshire experienced only light snowfall.

A study reports chemical traces of gifbol plant toxins on 60,000-year-old arrowheads from Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter in KwaZulu-Natal, which researchers describe as the oldest direct evidence of arrow poison; similar compounds were also found on 250-year-old arrowheads held in Swedish collections.

Researchers reported that adding the protein Shugoshin 1 to older human eggs reduced a common chromosome-separation defect in laboratory tests, and the team says the method will need years of safety testing and clinical trials before it could be used in treatment.

U.S. officials have pressed for Greenland to become part of the United States, citing national security, and the Arctic Council was suspended after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, reducing circumpolar cooperation.

The article reports that federal grant cancellations and proposed budget cuts have reduced funding intended for sewer and septic repairs in historically underserved U.S. communities, leaving many projects and needed upgrades uncertain.

Guides at Mount Etna have staged a strike and demonstration after Catania authorities restricted excursions to view lava flows; Italy's volcanology institute said the eruption is ongoing but lava fronts are cooling and not advancing.

Authorities evacuated clifftop homes in Hemsby, Norfolk after significant coastal erosion left sections of cliff at risk of collapse as Storm Goretti brought amber weather warnings across parts of the UK.

From 31 March 2026 local authorities in England must start consistent collections into four streams including paper/card, dry recycling and weekly food waste, and the article reports enforcement action that could include fines up to £400.

The Met Office issued a red weather warning for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, and the Cabinet Office sent Emergency Alerts to compatible mobile phones in the affected areas.

Scientists operating the EAST tokamak report plasma densities 30%–65% above the long‑accepted Greenwald limit, using high‑power microwaves and increased neutral‑gas injection to reduce impurities; the results were published in Science Advances on 1 January.

An endangered fin whale was found deceased on the bow of a container ship at Gloucester Marine Terminal in New Jersey; NOAA's enforcement office has opened an investigation.

Storm Goretti brought heavy snow and ice across parts of the UK, and the Met Office has extended yellow warnings into Saturday with further snowfall expected across parts of northern England and much of Scotland on Sunday morning.

Storm Goretti has brought heavy snow and blizzard conditions across Germany, with long-distance rail services in the north halted and flights and roads disrupted; meteorologists say temperatures could drop to around -20C and further snow is expected.

Dozens of pilot whales stranded at Farewell Spit, leaving six dead and 15 alive, and volunteers with Project Jonah and the Department of Conservation are working to re-float the remaining animals when the tide allows.

Storm Goretti brought high winds, rain and snow to the UK and northwestern France; more than 57,000 customers in the UK and about 380,000 homes in France lost power, and rail and airport services were disrupted.

Government figures say solar panels will cover up to 100,800 hectares of farmland by 2030, a land area similar to Bedfordshire, as Energy Secretary Ed Miliband pushes to meet net zero targets.

Bushfires in Victoria have destroyed homes and burned large areas as a heatwave pushed temperatures above 40C; authorities urged evacuations and reported ongoing firefighting efforts.

New Zealand's critically endangered kakapo started breeding last week for the first time in four years, the Department of Conservation said. There are 236 kakapo remaining across three remote island populations, including 83 breeding-age females.

Scientists report 2025 set a new record for global ocean heat, and the oceans absorbed more than 90% of the heat trapped by human-caused emissions.

City Hall deactivated the pan‑London Severe Weather Emergency Protocol because temperatures were above 0°C, while outreach groups said the decision is life‑threatening as snow and icy conditions were reported.

The White House announced President Trump is withdrawing the United States from the world's foundational treaty on climate change and exiting dozens of UN climate schemes, and the article reports critics called the move "short-sighted" and "foolish".

WXCharts maps depict a 739-mile band of snow that could reach as far south as Folkestone; the Met Office says a change to milder, unsettled conditions is likely and that snow is possible in parts of the UK between January 11 and 20.

NASA says it is monitoring a medical concern affecting a crew member on the International Space Station and has postponed a planned spacewalk; the agency is evaluating options, including an early end to Crew-11's mission.