Waste from UK's largest opencast mine 'poses significant risk' 24 hours ago Share Save Steffan Messenger , Wales environment correspondent and Gareth Bryer , BBC Wales Share Save Matthew Horwood/Getty Images Ffos-y-Fran opencast coalmine was allowed to go ahead close to homes and businesses in Merthyr Tydfil Concerns have been …

Volcanic eruption may have triggered Europe's deadly Black Death plague 14 hours ago Share Save Helen Briggs Environment correspondent Share Save Getty The Black Death fundamentally altered medieval society A volcanic eruption around the year 1345 may have set off a chain reaction that unleashed Europe's deadliest pandemic, the Black …

Brazil's Amazon rainforest at risk as key protection under threat 17 November 2025 Share Save Justin Rowlatt , Climate editor and Jessica Cruz , South America producer Share Save BBC / Tony Jolliffe The Amazon rainforest could face a renewed surge of deforestation as efforts grow to overturn a long-standing …

UN climate talks fail to secure new fossil fuel promises 22 November 2025 Share Save Georgina Rannard Climate and science correspondent, Belém, Brazil Share Save EPA Following bitter rows, the UN climate summit COP30 in Belém, Brazil has ended with a deal that contains no direct reference to the fossil …

Mayor says too many families are 'working poor' 2 days ago Share Save Gemma Dillon , West Yorkshire political reporter and Rima Ahmed , BBC Radio Leeds Share Save BBC Tracy Brabin says the emphasis on mayors in the Budget is "revolutionary" West Yorkshire's mayor says scrapping the two-child benefit …

First kiss dates back 21 million years, say scientists 19 November 2025 Share Save Victoria Gill Science correspondent, BBC News Share Save Getty The researchers found evidence of kissing in multiple species Humans do it, monkeys do it, even polar bears do it. And now researchers have reconstructed the evolutionary …

COP30: Five key takeaways from a deeply divisive climate summit 23 November 2025 Share Save Justin Rowlatt , Climate Editor and Matt McGrath , Environment correspondent Share Save getty COP30 President President André Corrêa do Lago at a critical moment in the final plenary session of talks In three decades …

Good news for wild swimmers as bathing water quality improves 25 November 2025 Share Save Mark Poynting , Climate and science reporter and Jonah Fisher , Environment correspondent Share Save PA The number of monitored bathing sites in England meeting minimum standards for water quality has risen slightly since last …

Cats became our companions way later than you think 6 days ago Share Save Helen Briggs Environment correspondent Share Save Getty Images All domestic cats (Felis catus) are descended from the African wild cat In true feline style, cats took their time in deciding when and where to forge bonds …

Delhi records 200,000 acute respiratory illness cases amid toxic air Some hospitals in Delhi now have clinics to treat pollution-related illnesses More than 200,000 cases of acute respiratory illnesses were recorded in six state-run hospitals in Delhi between 2022 and 2024 as the Indian capital struggled with rising pollution levels, …