Authorities are cracking down on rights activists fighting for Indigenous people threatened by authoritarianism, extractivism and climate breakdown
The operation began at 9am Moscow time, but took place across all of Russia’s 11 time zones. Almost simultaneously, agents of the federal security service (FSB) raided the homes and workplaces of 17 Indigenous rights activists.
Officers carried out searches, confiscated laptops and phones, and arrested and interrogated activists about participation in international forums. Most were let go; many have since left the country. Others remain in Russia, but will no longer speak up.
Continue reading...
Breaking Waves: Ocean News
05/22/2026 - 08:00
05/22/2026 - 08:00
What does a surge in ocean temperatures, compounded with El Niño, bode for the summer?
An enormous marine heatwave off the US west coast is ringing alarm bells among ocean and atmospheric scientists as new data shows its ecological and environmental effects are intensifying.
The unusual area of warm water has persisted since peaking in size during September 2025 and still stretches thousands of miles from the California coastline – more than halfway across the Pacific – affecting a vast triangle-shaped region of oceanic habitats from Hawaii to British Columbia and southward to Mexico.
Continue reading...
05/22/2026 - 04:00
Greater working from home and hot summer temperatures believed to be driving increase in ownership
An estimated 4m homes in the UK now have air conditioning, double the figure from three years ago as Britons complain of “unliveable” conditions during high temperatures.
Portable units with power ratings around 1kW are slightly more common than the more powerful built-in versions that can guzzle 2.7kW of power – more than an electric oven.
Continue reading...
05/22/2026 - 02:00
This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world
Continue reading...
05/22/2026 - 00:00
Phenomenon, often seen around Britain’s coast at this time of year, is caused by a combination of algae and weather
At this time of year a sinister-looking substance can often be sighted around Britain’s coast: a frothy foam piled up along the shoreline or appearing in long ribbons offshore. People sometimes assume this foam is the result of pollution or sewage dumping. In fact it is a common natural phenomenon produced by a combination of algae and weather.
Sea algae start to grow in April as conditions warm. The most common sort, phaeocystis, is not toxic and forms part of the marine food chain. When the algal bloom dies it leaves a brown scum of organic material with surfactant properties, which, like soap, lowers the surface tension of the water.
Continue reading...
05/21/2026 - 23:00
npj Ocean Sustainability, Published online: 22 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s44183-026-00207-z
The surf ecosystem as an emerging framework for managing coastal and marine resources
05/21/2026 - 18:01
Cancer Research UK figures show number diagnosed with most serious form of skin cancer has risen above 20,000 for first time
The number of cases from the most serious form of skin cancer have reached a record high across the UK, according to analysis by a leading cancer charity.
Melanoma cases in the UK have risen above 20,000 for the first time ever, with 20,980 people being diagnosed with the form of cancer in 2022, according to analysis of the latest figures by Cancer Research UK.
Continue reading...
05/21/2026 - 15:00
Conservationists say population rebound demands rethink of retention zones that allow thousands of the animals to remain in the park
Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates
Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast
Feral horse numbers in the Kosciuszko national park have surged, with new survey data estimating populations climbed by thousands after the New South Wales government paused aerial culling in 2025.
Conservation advocates say the rebound in numbers demands an urgent rethink of retention zones that allow thousands of horses to remain in the park.
Continue reading...
05/21/2026 - 13:00
Research led by WHO predicts hotter climate will lead to more contact between humans and venomous snakes
The risk of snakebites is increasing across the world as reptiles shift their habitats to cope with rising temperatures and growing human pressures, a study of venomous snakes has found.
Spitting cobras in Africa, vipers in Europe and South America, cottonmouth moccasins in North America and kraits in Asia are coming into greater contact with people as a result of climate disruption and landscape change, according to the research, which was led by the World Health Organization.
Continue reading...
05/21/2026 - 10:00
Climate change denial has become untenable yet Hanson’s party digs in – with conspiracy theories, cherrypicking and claims that are easy to refute
Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates
Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast
As the populist rightwing One Nation surges in the polls, its position on climate change is fixed firmly on the denial of decades of evidence showing the planet, and Australia, are getting hotter.
The science linking the burning of fossil fuels to rising temperatures is 130 years old and, as the evidence has stacked up, Australians are feeling it with increasing weather extremes.
Continue reading...
