Author: Andrew Rogers

A recent cold snap has brought Britain’s winter thrushes, fieldfares and redwings, suddenly back into view after a strangely quiet autumn. These birds usually arrive in large numbers as reliably as swallows signal summer, yet this year many fields and hedgerows remained empty, with hawthorn berries untouched. That changed around the new year, when falling temperatures prompted flocks to emerge across the countryside. Redwings, smaller and neatly marked with rusty-red flanks and pale eyestripes, appeared alongside bulkier fieldfares, whose grey heads and blotched yellowish breasts are matched by their distinctive chacking calls. Each winter, hundreds of thousands of these thrushes…

The United States has officially announced its figure skating roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics, featuring a deep lineup of talented athletes ready to compete for historic medals. The team includes national champions, rising stars, and seasoned skaters with international experience. Fans can expect strong performances across all disciplines, including men’s singles, women’s singles, pairs, and ice dance. The roster highlights the country’s strength in figure skating and its potential to secure multiple Olympic medals. Among the athletes, Amber Glenn leads the women’s field after her third consecutive U.S. Figure Skating Championship. Her technical skills, artistry, and consistency make her…

Indian forest officials are searching for a single-tusked elephant that has killed 22 people in the eastern state of Jharkhand since early January. The elephant has been rampaging through villages and forests in the West Singhbhum district, with most attacks occurring at night. Authorities believe the young male became separated from its herd and has turned highly aggressive. Residents in the Chaibasa area have been placed on high alert and warned not to enter forests or leave their homes after dark. According to local forest officials, repeated attempts to tranquillise the animal have failed, despite deploying more than 100 personnel…

Same-sex sexual behaviour is widespread among non-human primates and may help reinforce social bonds during environmental or social stress, researchers suggest. Writing in Nature Ecology & Evolution, scientists led by Prof Vincent Savolainen of Imperial College London analysed reports across 59 primate species, including chimpanzees, Barbary macaques and mountain gorillas. The behaviour was found to be more common in species living in harsher, drier environments with scarce resources and higher predation risk. Researchers also linked it to longer lifespans, complex social hierarchies and intense competition within larger groups. First author Chloe Coxshall said both genetic and environmental factors appear to…

In the frozen darkness of northern Sweden, engineers at the LKAB mine in Kiruna are driving Europe’s push to secure its own supply of rare earth metals. While surface temperatures plunge below -20C, teams work nearly a kilometre underground to reach the Per Geijer deposit, one of the continent’s largest known sources of rare earth elements. These materials, vital for electric vehicles, smartphones, renewable energy and military technology, are currently dominated by China, which the EU has accused of weaponising its near monopoly. Despite identified deposits elsewhere in Europe, there are still no operational rare earth mines, making Kiruna central…

The world’s oceans absorbed unprecedented amounts of heat in 2025, setting another record and amplifying climate disasters, scientists report. Oceans take up more than 90% of the excess heat from carbon pollution, making them the clearest measure of global warming’s pace and persistence. The added heat fuels stronger hurricanes and typhoons, heavier rainfall and flooding, and longer marine heatwaves that devastate ocean life. It also accelerates sea-level rise through thermal expansion, threatening coastal communities worldwide. The analysis, published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, shows the top 2,000 metres of the oceans now hold heat equivalent to more than 200 times…

Scientists have revealed a striking list of plants and fungi named in 2025, highlighting both nature’s creativity and its growing vulnerability. Researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and international partners described 125 new plant species last year, selecting 10 of the most unusual for a “weird and wonderful” showcase. Among them is a so-called zombie fungus from Brazil’s Atlantic rainforest that infects trapdoor spiders, bursting through their underground lairs to spread spores. The list also includes a dramatic bloodstained orchid from Ecuador that mimics female flies to lure pollinators, and a flame-coloured shrub from Peru named after Calcifer, the…

Lawmakers from both parties reached a bipartisan deal in late 2025 to keep the federal government funded and prevent further shutdowns. The agreement highlights how cooperation across party lines can lead to practical solutions for national governance. The deal ensures that federal agencies continue operating without interruption. Funding covers essential services, including healthcare programs, national defense, and public safety initiatives. Officials say the agreement provides stability for government employees and the communities they serve. Congressional leaders emphasized the importance of compromise and dialogue in reaching the deal. Both parties recognized the consequences of a shutdown, including delayed services and economic…

Reindeer are facing increasing hardship as climate change alters Arctic winter conditions. Warmer winters have led to more frequent rain-on-snow events, which create icy layers that block access to vital lichen and moss. Long-term climate records since 1960 show these events are becoming earlier, more common, and more widespread. Researchers comparing weather data with herd records in Norway and Finland found reindeer birthrates decline after icy winters. The findings were presented at the American Geophysical Union conference in New Orleans. Dense herds are most affected due to competition for food. Scientists say the results could guide land-use planning to help…

A vast foreign fishing fleet gathers yearly on Mile 201, an unregulated stretch of high seas off Argentina.The flotilla, dominated by Chinese vessels, is so large it can be seen from space.Environmental Justice Foundation calls it one of the world’s largest unregulated squid fisheries.Squid numbers are under severe pressure due to the absence of catch limits or oversight.Scientists warn the species’ short life cycle is not being respected.Squid are vital prey for whales, dolphins, seabirds, tuna and hake.A population collapse could destabilise the entire marine ecosystem.Fishing activity on Mile 201 rose sharply between 2019 and 2024.Chinese vessels account for most…