Science

An uncrewed Blue Origin mission came to an abrupt end when the capsule’s emergency escape system was triggered by a failure on its booster rocket. The capsule was carrying a payload of research items and returned to Earth, though the New Shepherd rocket “impacted the ground” according to the company. The Federal Aviation Administration, which

Throughout August, wildfires raged across parts of China, triggered by a record long heatwave and drought. Thousands of firefighters were mobilised across the country. Around the south-western city of Chongqing, which was one of the worst-hit areas, local off-road motorcyclists joined the effort, transporting emergency workers and essential supplies to areas that were otherwise hard

Around 8,500 cyclists prevented motorists from using a stretch of Germany’s autobahn, during a protest calling for better public transport and cycle lanes. The demonstration took place between Frankfurt and Wiesbaden – a distance of 40km (25 miles). It was organised by Verkehrswende Hessen – a group seeking to make transport in the German state

The number of white storks is falling in many countries. The extreme heat this summer is just the latest of many hazards they face – in Europe, in Africa, and on the long migration routes in between. Nick Thorpe sent this report from Hungary, on a sudden spike in stork deaths there.

Some 2,000 islanders in Guna Yala will become one of the first indigenous communities in Latin America to relocate because of climate change. Islander Magdalena Martínez, who has campaigned for new housing on the mainland, tells the BBC how she feels about leaving the island she grew up on. The Panama government estimates all islands

Earlier this year, footage emerged of a hippo being tested for Covid at a wildlife park near Shanghai. Now, clips of fish and crabs getting PCR tests have been going viral on Chinese social media. Officials in the coastal Chinese city of Xiamen ordered “both fishermen and their seafood” to be tested after some 40

A bed of rock emerges from the waters of Lake Garda, after a drought brought its water levels down to a 15-year low. Italy’s largest lake, a popular tourist destination, has been severely affected by hot temperatures and a lack of significant rainfall for months. Parts of northern Italy are experiencing their worst drought in

Forecasts of rain have been welcomed by many gardeners following the UK heatwave but planting for increasingly drier and warmer weather is now a consideration. Visionary plantswoman Beth Chatto OBE, a multi-gold medal winner at RHS Chelsea, pioneered the idea of choosing the right plants for the right conditions. Her legacy lives on at Elmstead

Two Argentine paddleboarders were surprised to see a whale swimming next to them in the coastal town of Monte Hermoso. The pair can be seen paddling next to a whale and at one point they said they were surrounded by 12 of the animals. During the video one paddleboarder is knocked off of their board

Melting glaciers in the Alps are on track for their highest mass losses in at least 60 years, according to data seen by Reuters. The area saw two early summer heatwaves and little snowfall last winter. Zermatt, a Swiss mountain village which usually sees July temperatures in the twenties, has had recent highs of 30C

Geraint Radford, from Ystalyfera in the Swansea Valley, photographs bugs and plants in his garden. He uses social media to try to encourage more people to get into macro photography. He said: “Insects get a hard time, we’re conditioned to find them scary. I try to take pictures of them that show them in a

Kenya’s Wildlife and Tourism ministry says that climate change is now a bigger threat to elephant conservation than poaching. In the past year, the country has recorded 179 elephant deaths due to the ongoing drought affecting the Horn of Africa. Following consecutive seasons of poor rains, rivers and water pans have dried up and grasslands

A large grass fire covering at least eight hectares (20 acres) of land was declared a major incident in Surrey on Sunday. Several fire engines attended the scene at Hankley Common, near Farnham. There were separate blazes in Suffolk, Hertfordshire and Thamesmead in London, where fire engines, a fire boat and about 65 firefighters dealt

Passengers travelling on a Spanish train were alarmed as their train momentarily stopped and wildfires could be seen on both sides of the track. The footage was captured in the Spanish province of Zamora. A spokesperson from rail operator Adif told the Associated Press that the passengers were never in danger.

Pikku-Finlandia (or Little Finlandia) is a temporary venue hosting large events in the Finnish capital, Helsinki, while the city’s iconic Finlandia Hall is closed for refurbishment. It’s a reusable wooden building that includes whole trees with protruding branches as part of the structure. Fully recyclable and transportable, it will be packed up and taken to

A new species of giant water lily has been discovered by scientists – and it’s been hiding in plain sight for 177 years. The huge plant had been in the archives of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – and was growing in a number of aquatic collections – but it was mistakenly identified as another