Science & Earth

A modelling study of the Antarctic Peninsula finds a high-emissions scenario could reduce regional sea ice by about 20% by 2100 and add up to 22 millimetres to sea level by 2100 (172 mm by 2300).

A young grey seal pup was found lying in the middle of a road in Scarborough and was returned to the shore by the British Divers Marine Life Rescue after local staff called the charity and stayed with the animal.

Organizers pledged that Games-time electricity would come from certified renewable sources, and Enel said it would supply about 85 gigawatt-hours backed by guarantee-of-origin certificates.

A Philippine spotted deer fawn was born at the Bristol Zoo Project to parents Eugene and Pandora; the species is seriously endangered with fewer than 700 individuals reported in the wild, and the zoo is asking the public to vote on a name.

The government announced a 10-year Deer Impacts Policy Statement to help landowners, foresters and farmers manage deer damage; officials say about one-third of England's woodlands are affected by deer impacts.

A Forestry Commission policy statement says a third (33%) of English woodlands are now negatively impacted by deer and sets out actions over the next 10 years, including targeted grants, licensing changes, monitoring and support for the wild venison supply chain.

A modelling study focused on the Antarctic Peninsula finds that under a very high emissions pathway regional temperatures could reach about 4.4°C above pre-industrial levels by 2100, with sea ice around the Peninsula falling by roughly 20% and the Peninsula contributing about 22 millimetres to global sea level by 2100.

Milford Haven in south Wales has undergone waterfront regeneration and is presented as a less-crowded alternative to nearby Tenby. The town remains Wales' largest fishing port and now features a redeveloped marina with hotels, restaurants and marine activities.

Eight MIT faculty members and 22 MIT alumni are among 126 researchers awarded 2026 Sloan Research Fellowships by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, with each fellowship providing two years of support and $75,000 to be used flexibly for research.

An engineer at the University of Bristol has developed a 'smart shoe' with a sensor insole that provides real-time gait and pressure data to connected devices, and NICE figures show falls are a leading cause of injury death for people aged 75 and older in the UK.

Officials say nine people died in a Sierra Nevada avalanche that included parents connected to Sugar Bowl Academy; crews recovered eight bodies and search and recovery efforts continue while investigators review whether the trip proceeded after storm and avalanche warnings.

A prospective MRI study compared women before and after a first or second pregnancy with nulliparous controls and found widespread decreases in cortical volume, thickness and surface area in both pregnancy groups, with some regional differences between first and second pregnancies and partial persistence of changes into the postpartum period.

Plastic production has doubled over the past 20 years and may rise further, and fossil fuel companies have invested more than $180bn in US plastics plants since 2010; critics and affected communities are challenging industry tactics and lobbying.

Orford Ness recorded 430 grey seal pups this pupping season, nearly double last year's 228, and the National Trust says the colony has grown each year since seals first arrived in 2021.

A review of 226 articles and 183 case studies across 15 countries finds most literature centres on Australia, Canada, the USA and New Zealand, and only 19% of case studies reported consideration of Indigenous values or knowledge.

Tripadvisor's Travellers' Choice Awards lists Isla Pasion in Cozumel as the top beach for 2026, with Elafonissi and Balos Lagoon in Crete also among the highest-ranked; the article notes UK flights to Chania can be found from about £44.

The city council says a small number of bird flu cases were found in wild birds at Yeadon Tarn in Leeds and it is working with DEFRA to monitor the situation; the area remains open with notices advising visitors not to touch or feed birds.

Behaviorists from Palm Beach Zoo and Precision Behavior trained a southern white rhino in Zimbabwe to accept eyedrops, treating a parasitic infection and protecting the animal's eyesight; local staff were taught to continue daily medication.

President Trump announced repeal of the EPA’s 2009 'endangerment finding,' removing the federal determination that greenhouse gases endanger public health; legal challenges are expected.

Cuba has accelerated solar and wind projects with Chinese support as power cuts worsened after Venezuelan oil shipments fell; the government has set a target of 26% renewables by 2035.

New research finds half of over-50s are planning a 'Golden Gap Year' focused on personal growth and long-awaited travel, with popular destinations including Dubai, Australia, Thailand, Mauritius and the Maldives.

With the UK seeing heavy rain, the article notes Gozo—an island near Malta—has mild February weather around 18C and is known for green hills, dramatic cliffs and quieter beaches compared with Malta.

Gozo, Malta’s smaller sister island, is reachable by short ferries and is reported to have February temperatures around 16–20C; media reports also noted example one-way flights from London Stansted to Malta for £35 and local pints priced at about £1.80.

The UK Health Security Agency has issued a yellow cold-health alert for several English regions from 6am on Friday (Feb 13) to 8am on Monday (Feb 16), while Met Office forecasts show overnight lows down to around -4C in some areas.

A TikTok gardening expert cautioned that a very wet, cold winter has made early February planting more difficult and suggested waiting until late February or early March; the RSPB also highlighted National Nest Box Week and encouraged providing nest boxes for garden birds.

Volunteers excavating a newly accessed cave at Stump Cross Caverns in North Yorkshire uncovered a fossilised lower wolverine jaw, a find described as very rare; site dating has suggested Ice Age material in the caverns is roughly 80,000–90,000 years old, with some reports describing the specimen as older than 90,000 years.

The article lists nine cruise experiences — from transatlantic crossings and Galapagos and Antarctic expeditions to river cruises on the Amazon, Mekong and the Nile — that provide access to notable natural and cultural sights.

The study reports Shrimycocin-A, extracted from coconut shells, shows antifungal activity across a range of plant and human pathogenic fungi and demonstrated systemic absorption with no reported phytotoxicity in tests.

Romanian researchers recovered bacteria from a 5,000-year-old Scărișoara Cave ice core that showed resistance to several modern antibiotics; chemicals from the samples also inhibited multiple disease-causing bacteria.

In Ilulissat, a five-time Greenlandic sled dog champion says unusually warm winter weather left January without sea ice and has disrupted traditional dog sled travel while nearby glaciers retreat and permafrost thaws.