Breaking Waves: Ocean News

What does the Zoological Society of London do? After 200 years, the answer is still ‘everything’ | Martin Rowson

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:00:49 +0000

The ZSL has given us the word ‘zoo’, inspired artists and birthed a quarter of all Sumatran tigers. It has fascinated me since childhood – and the world since 1826

In the spring of 1826, two extraordinary things occurred in central London. The first was the death of Chunee the elephant. On 1 March at Cross’s Menagerie, upstairs in the Exeter ’Change on the Strand, Chunee was killed by a firing squad in the cramped enclosure where he’d been kept for the previous six years.

Timmy the whale rescue attempt begins off coast of Germany – in pictures

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:01:45 +0000

A rescue operation to transport a young male humpback to deeper waters in the North Sea after it became stranded in the Baltic Sea off Lübeck a month ago is under way. The whale’s ordeal has gripped Germany but there are concerns it may be too fatigued and sick to survive

Stranded whale swims on to barge in German rescue attempt

Dozens of North Carolina houses have been lost to the sea. Some surviving homes are now being moved on wheels

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 10:30:52 +0000

Pace of sea-level rise has turned Outer Banks coastal area into a ‘canary in the coalmine’ for other east coast communities

Moving house has a more literal meaning on Hatteras Island, the slender hook of land that juts off the coast of North Carolina. After a slew of houses toppled spectacularly into the Atlantic Ocean recently, entire buildings are now being lifted on to wheels to flee the rapidly eroding coastline.

Critical minerals are ‘oil of 21st century’ as demand fuels poverty and pollution in poorer countries

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 10:00:53 +0000

Rush for lithium, cobalt and nickel is ravaging livelihoods, water and health of world’s most vulnerable, UN study says

Critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel are becoming the “oil of the 21st century” as the scramble for precious metals deepens poverty and creates public health crises in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities, a report by the UN’s water thinktank has found.

‘Suicidal’ model of capitalism leading to war and fascism, climate summit told

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 10:00:51 +0000

Colombia president Gustavo Petro tells 57-country talks on a green energy transition that fossil fuel interests could destroy humanity

The world is threatened by a “suicidal” model of capitalism that is leading to war, fascism and the potential extinction of humanity, Colombia’s president has said, as he convened 57 governments to address the climate crisis.

Older than the dinosaurs: scientists finally unlock secret of the mayfly’s dance

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 06:00:48 +0000

The bizarre vertical flight pattern has long puzzled experts but new research reveals why it may play a crucial role in the insect’s survival

On a spring evening along the banks of the River Thames, thousands of mayflies can be seen engaging in what may be one of the world’s oldest dances. In the fading light, the males make a steep vertical climb, flip over and float back to Earth – wings and tail outstretched in a skydiving posture so as to drop slowly through the sky.

Babies exposed to air pollution during pregnancy take longer to learn to speak, research finds

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 05:00:46 +0000

A KCL study has found that exposure during the first trimester of pregnancy delayed speech development

Babies exposed to higher levels of air pollution in the early stages of pregnancy take longer to learn to speak than those exposed to lower levels in the womb, new research suggests.

A study by researchers from King’s College London found exposure to nitrogen dioxide and fine and ultra-fine particulate matter during the first trimester of pregnancy delayed speech development at 18 months.

Urban areas host 80% of England’s homes at high risk of flooding, study finds

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 05:00:45 +0000

Exclusive: 839,000 homes in urban areas face threat of surface-water flooding, with social housing tenants most vulnerable to costs

Eight in 10 of the homes that are at high risk of flooding in England are now in towns and cities, according to analysis by the National Housing Federation (NHF), which said social housing tenants are disproportionately vulnerable to the financial cost.

Research found that 839,000 homes in urban areas are now classed as being at high risk of surface water flooding, a threefold increase since 2018.

Anthony Albanese rules out gas export tax on existing contracts and criticises ‘populist’ campaign

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 02:00:24 +0000

Prime minister says the middle of a global fuel crisis is ‘the worst possible time to jeopardise’ Australia’s partnerships with Asian trading partners

Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates

Trump administration blocks US wind energy projects in switch to oil and gas

admin — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 21:37:43 +0000

US representatives Jared Huffman and Jamie Raskin earlier this month called agreements outrageous and unlawful