Science & Earth

Bottled water is being delivered in Killin after diesel contaminated a local water treatment plant, and Scottish Water has warned residents to use tap water only for flushing.

Essex Police reported that officers, the RSPCA and council staff found deceased animals and unsanitary conditions at the Save A Paw rehoming centre in Carys Hill, Billericay, and 41 pets were recorded as dead across visits. A man, Oaveed Rahman, was convicted and sentenced for causing unnecessary suffering in relation to some animals and admitted fraud; further details about any next legal steps are undetermined at this time.

The EPA told a federal appeals court it will defend the Biden-era rule that requires most cities to replace lead service lines within ten years, and said it will develop tools to support practical implementation.

NASA plans to launch Artemis 2 on March 6 (early March 7 in the UK) for a roughly 10-day crewed flight around the Moon, and the date was finalised after a detailed fueling test and launch-day walkthrough.

Galápagos National Park released 158 juvenile hybrid giant tortoises, aged 8–13, on Floreana Island to begin restoring the island’s depleted ecosystem; the animals carry an estimated 40–80% of the genetic makeup of the extinct Chelonoidis niger.

A new study links a recent rise in global monthly temperatures to a long La Nina followed by a shift toward El Nino, and NOAA this month adopted a relative tropical index to redefine when El Nino and La Nina are declared.

A captive 'back‑breeding' programme returned 158 juvenile Floreana giant tortoises to Floreana island, restoring a subspecies absent since the 1840s. The reintroduction followed invasive rat and feral cat removal that began in 2023 and is part of a wider ecological restoration effort.

A Telegraph article by Ben Farmer, published 20 February 2026, reports that DNA from a lion was used to bring criminal charges against suspected poachers for the first time. The available excerpt does not include further details about the case or upcoming legal steps.

Parts of southern England may reach about 16C this weekend, while rain continues and more than 50 flood warnings remain in parts of the southwest.

More than 7.1 million birds have been reported affected in Pennsylvania, mainly at Lancaster County egg-laying sites, and state officials say they are deploying extra personnel and expanding testing to track the outbreaks.

NASA's administrator said leadership and decision failures at Boeing and within NASA contributed to the 2024 Starliner mission problems that left two astronauts at the ISS for about nine months, and the agency has classified the incident as a "Type A" mishap.

Temperatures are forecast to reach about 16C in parts of southern England this weekend after recent frosty and rainy conditions; forecasters warn the milder spell will be brief and unsettled weather from Atlantic systems will bring further rain and flood risk.

A report by Geoffrey Watson alleges long-running corruption within the Victorian CFMEU and redacted chapters claim large taxpayer losses; an administrator has removed those chapters and sacked staff, and questions remain about what Premier Jacinta Allan knew and when.

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.

NASA completed a second wet dress rehearsal for Artemis II, loading the SLS rocket with more than 2.6 million litres of propellant and keeping hydrogen leaks below the agency's 16% limit.

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.