Science & Earth

Fujiyoshida, near Mount Fuji, has cancelled its 10-year-old cherry blossom festival after officials said a surge of visitors was creating problems for residents; across the UK, sites from Greenwich Park to the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh and several country estates are noted for their spring cherry blossoms.

Koko Networks halted its bioethanol fuel distribution after failing to secure government approvals for carbon credits and import permits, leaving more than 3,000 outlets idle and many low-income households without affordable cooking fuel.

A 46‑year‑old e‑bike rider died after a collision with a horse and cart on Folly Lane in Chingford, and a 26‑year‑old driver has been arrested on suspicion of wanton and furious driving while police investigate.

Taipei Zoo will highlight its four Przewalski's horses during Lunar New Year celebrations beginning February 17; the species was once extinct in the wild and has since been reintroduced, bringing the regional total to about 850.

Taipei Zoo will highlight its four Przewalski's horses during Lunar New Year displays beginning February 17, noting the species was once extinct in the wild and has since been reintroduced in parts of Asia.

A planning application has been submitted to create a 1,000-acre Wild Rutland safari on Burley Estate that could include holding pens for Eurasian brown bears, lynx and wolves. Rutland County Council is consulting on the proposal and expects to decide by late May.

Around 70 million litres of untreated wastewater leaked into waters off Wellington after a failure at the Moa Point treatment plant, and local authorities have advised people to avoid coastal waterways while repairs continue.

Researchers used EEG on 49 sleeping newborns and found brain responses that tracked rhythmic but not melodic patterns in original musical excerpts, while shuffled versions did not elicit the same responses.

Community-led restoration in the APA Guapi-Mirim has helped re-establish mangrove forest and wildlife at the head of Guanabara Bay, even as pollution and other pressures persist in much of the bay.

Conservationists report record numbers of brown hairstreak eggs in Carmarthenshire's Tywi valley after partners reduced annual hedgerow flailing and planted extra blackthorn.

Baroness Sheehan urged the Environment Agency to clear a 25,000-tonne illegal waste dump beside a primary school in Bickershaw, Wigan, citing environmental and public health risks; the agency says removal is planned only if funds are available and does not judge the site to carry the same level of risk as other cleared sites.

Malaysia reclassified all electronic waste as absolutely prohibited for import and said it will enforce the ban, announced as authorities widen a corruption probe tied to e-waste oversight.

NASA's Juno spacecraft measured Jupiter's equatorial diameter at about 88,841 miles and its polar diameter at about 83,067 miles, both modestly smaller than earlier estimates, using radio signals that passed through the planet's atmosphere.

Volunteers in New Zealand have cleaned more than 500 remote hiking huts this summer, trekking in with gloves and basic supplies to help maintain a publicly owned network of over 950 huts.

Researchers report that CART4-34, a CAR-T therapy targeting the IGHV4-34 receptor, eliminated B‑cell cancer cells in mice while sparing healthy B cells, and the developers say a phase I trial is being planned.

Renewables and energy storage supplied more than 50% of electricity on Australia's main grid last quarter, and wholesale power prices were about 40% lower year‑on‑year; however, transmission delays, gas market issues and local outage causes mean challenges remain.

A review by nine international experts warns reproductive health in space requires urgent study as longer missions and potential lunar or Martian settlements approach; researchers say effects of radiation and low gravity on embryos and fertility are not well understood.

Researchers analysed 23 years of long-footed potoroo scats and found that warmer conditions were linked with potoroos consuming fewer species of truffle-like fungi, which could affect fungal dispersal and tree–fungus partnerships.

A 308 lb (140 kg) female Asian elephant calf was born at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington DC at 1:15 a.m. on 2 February, the zoo's first Asian elephant birth in nearly 25 years; the zoo says the calf will spend about a month bonding with her mother and is part of a public naming process funded by $5 donations.

Colossal Biosciences and the United Arab Emirates announced plans for a Dubai World Preservation Lab that will include a BioVault to store frozen tissue from 100 species, and the company says it aims to expand holdings to over one million samples covering more than 10,000 species.

Since 2022 about 40% of zoos and aquariums in the UK and Ireland have reported precarious finances, and several parks have closed or been sold; new UK rules from 2027 will require contingency plans and updated zoo standards.

The T11 exemption governs repair, refurbishment and dismantling of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) for reuse or parts recovery and requires registration with the Environment Agency; the exemption allows up to 1,000 tonnes to be treated in any 12‑month period.

About 1,000 scientists and policymakers from nearly 150 countries are meeting in Manchester until 8 February for the IPBES summit, which is focused on a Business & Biodiversity Assessment linking business with nature.

NASA's Artemis II will carry four astronauts on an approximately 10-day flight to circle the Moon and test deep-space systems; the launch window opens in early February 2026 with backup opportunities in March and April.

Younger premenopausal women with ER-positive early-stage breast cancer have rising incidence and face higher risks of recurrence and breast cancer–related death than older women; genomic differences and treatment-related factors such as ovarian suppression use and adherence to endocrine therapy are implicated.

An appeal to buy 138 hectares around the Cerne Abbas Giant raised more than £2 million, and the National Trust met its £330,000 fundraising target in 60 days.

Delegates to the UN plastics treaty negotiations have not reached agreement after six rounds of talks, and a new Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee chair is scheduled to be elected on 7 February.

More than half-a-million people have seen Dippy at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in Coventry, and the Natural History Museum and the Herbert have agreed to extend the exhibit's stay until 19 February 2027.

Dippy at The Herbert in Coventry will remain on display until 19 February 2027 after a one-year extension, and the replica diplodocus is made from 292 bones and measures 4.17 metres high.

The UK government published its first national PFAS Plan to co‑ordinate testing, monitoring and regulatory action on per‑ and poly‑fluoroalkyl substances. A consultation on introducing a statutory PFAS limit for England's public water supply will be launched later this year.