Even camels can’t cope: Africa’s ships of the desert hit by rising temperatures

Reuters Livestock herders in the Horn of Africa and North Africa have switched to camels over the years because of their famed resilience Camels are famously known as the ships of the desert, but even these hardy animals are not being spared from the extremes of rising temperatures in Africa. The Afar region of north-eastern Ethiopia is one of the hottest and dries

Carnivorous Squirrels Documented in California

Carnivorous Squirrels Documented in California A California ground squirrel in Contra Costa County runs with a vole it hunted in its mouth. A study from UC Davis and University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is the first to document widespread carnivorous feeding of voles by squirrels. (Sonja Wild, UC Davis) ground squirrel with cheeks stuffed with nuts, seeds or grains, is a common sight. But a ne

Back to books – Sweden’s schools cutting back on digital learning

Maddy Savage The Swedish government hopes that a return to pens and paper will improve literacy rates Sweden's government is championing a renewed focus on physical books, paper and pens in classrooms, designed to reverse falling literacy levels. But doubling down on analogue tools has drawn criticism from tech companies, educators and computer scientists, who argu

‘Trees vanished in seconds’: Canadian wildfires spread as smoke prompts air quality alerts in 18 states

Air quality alerts are in place on Thursday across at least 18 states, from Minnesota to New Hampshire to Virginia, as dangerous smoke continues to waft into the U.S. from Canadian wildfires, including more than 100 blazes burning out of control. Smoke from at least 850 active wildfires in Canada is traveling more than a thousand miles to reach U.S. locations including New York City . At least

California sends 400 goats and sheep after yellow star thistle, a weed that can worsen wildfires

Around 180 acres of the San Joaquin River Conservancy are at risk because of the vegetation, including invasive species. That's why the Sierra Resource Conservation District is partnering with the City of Fresno to launch the first phase of a habitat restoration effort. A grazing project partially aimed at eliminating harmful plants is now underway at the San Joaquin Conservancy's Jensen River R

Desert storm: Can data centres slake their insatiable thirst for water?

Aerial view of the Apple Data Center in Mesa near Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. REUTERS/Jim Todd Purchase Licensing Rights December 16 - Surging use of AI has led to a frenzy of construction activity to build new data centres, particularly in the U.S. Estimates put the total number of these facilities in operation worldwide this year at 6,111, with upwards of 2,000 more set to come online b

At least 20,000 hogs killed in Simcoe, Ont., barn fire

Dozens of Norfolk County firefighters work to extinguish massive fire in extreme heat Norfolk County fire crews on the scene of a hog barn fire near Simcoe, Ont., Tuesday morning. (Submitted by Norfolk County Fire Department) Flames billow from a hog barn near Simcoe, Ont., Tuesday as firefighters battle a blaze that left at least 20,000 hogs dead. Norfolk County firefighters responded t

Texas Bans Lab-Grown Meat, Citing Consumer Protection and Agricultural Interests

The state becomes the seventh in the United States to prohibit the sale of meat cultivated from animal cells. Credit:  Food & Wine / Getty Images Texas has passed a law banning lab-grown meat: Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 261, which prohibits the sale of cell-cultured protein in the state starting September 1, 2025. Supporters point to safety and agricultura

Australian doctor who underwent world-first brain tumour treatment dies

Tim Bauer Richard Scolyer is globally recognised for his pioneering work on melanoma treatment Pioneering Australian doctor Richard Scolyer has died, three years after being diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour. Scolyer, 59, made global headlines for his decision to undergo a risky world-first experimental treatment for his glioblastoma at the hands of his fri

Keystone pipeline operator agrees to pay $26.9m penalty over Kansas oil spill

Proposed legal settlement over 2022 oil spill would resolve allegations that South Bow violated clean water laws This photo taken with a drone shows the area where the ruptured Keystone pipeline dumped oil into a creek in Washington county, Kansas, on 9 December 2022.  Photograph: AP A proposed legal settlement with the US government would require the Keystone pipelin