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Natural England has approved licensed releases of Eurasian beavers at two projects in South West England, following last year's first licensed wild release in Dorset.

Chester Zoo and international partners bred and returned thousands of greater Bermuda snails to Bermuda; officials report six established wild colonies and say the species is now safe.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at a Shi'ite mosque in Islamabad that officials say killed at least 31 people and wounded about 169, and Pakistani authorities have opened an investigation.

The FDA approved beetroot red as a new food color and expanded permitted use of spirulina extract, part of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s initiative to reduce petroleum-based synthetic dyes in the food supply.

San Francisco drew most public attention during Super Bowl LX, but the game was played at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara and San Jose hosted a week of related events, officials said.

Love Island star Zachariah Noble and his girlfriend Ava Hirons shared an Instagram post showing a baby scan and said the baby is due in summer 2026.

Hartlepool Council is considering expanding local schools and working with an external partner to increase SEND provision, and it is awaiting the national SEND White Paper and potential capital funding for 2026–2029.

A senior US official told the UN Conference on Disarmament that Washington has evidence China carried out secret nuclear explosive tests, which the US says would breach an international ban.

The Milan Cortina Winter Olympics opened with an unprecedented four-site, dual-cauldron ceremony staged in Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Livigno and Predazzo, featuring Italian cultural tributes and live links between venues.

Julia Donaldson has revealed Gruffalo Granny, with the first image projected on the British Library, and said the book reflects her enjoyment of being a grandmother; the book is due 10 September 2026.

Researchers reported that ovarian cancer cells fuse with mesothelial cells to form hybrid clusters that travel in abdominal fluid and resist chemotherapy; the team suggested blocking TGF-β1 or preventing cell fusion as possible treatment approaches.

Jon Ruben, 76, was sentenced to 23 years and 10 months after pleading guilty to sexual offences, child cruelty, making indecent images and drug charges related to incidents at a 2025 summer camp; the judge added a licence period that brings the total to 31 years and eight months.

In Alto Ila, Ecuador, Ramón Pucha and his family run El Picaflor, a 32-hectare seed nursery that rescues and grows endangered native plants for replanting and local use. Environmental groups have said a government decision to merge the Environment Ministry with Energy and Mines could pose a risk to protections for areas like this.

adidas released an eight-piece capsule developed with the Bob Marley Foundation that draws on archive photos and Marley's love of football; the range includes a 'Football is Freedom' jersey, retro track jacket and pants, a dress, t-shirt, shorts and accessories.

Storm Leonardo has caused floods and evacuations in parts of Spain and Portugal, and meteorological services say a second storm, Marta, is expected to arrive on Saturday.

The Raisin Region Conservation Authority is creating new ponds and channels within Cooper Marsh's main impoundment to add open water habitat, with excavation work scheduled to finish by March 15.

The #StrongerTogetherForum, a values-led membership group, was launched in Basingstoke by former Gazette editor Mark Jones to connect businesses, charities and community organisations and increase social impact; more than 70 people attended the launch.

Shayne Hambakachere, 16, was found injured in Chippenham and later died in hospital; a 15-year-old has been charged with his murder, remanded in youth detention and a provisional trial date is set for 10 August.

The UK organic food and drink market grew nearly 8% in the year to 27 September 2025, with sales volumes up 2.5%, and organic poultry and salmon recorded double‑digit rises in value and volume.

The Queen Victoria Hospital's Minor Injuries Unit adopted the Archie EPR system three months ago and reported reduced paper use and a 99.5% rate of patients treated within four hours in December 2025.

Sarah Whiteley will speak about how the national park manages its historic landscape at Ingleborough Community Centre on Monday 16 February at 7.30pm; the Ingleborough Archaeology Group is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Jon Ruben was sentenced to 23 years and 10 months after admitting he drugged boys with sedative‑laced sweets and sexually abused them at a summer camp; police say the sedatives were sourced online and an investigation into wider offending is ongoing.

A Michelin‑star restaurateur was found guilty of attempting to administer GBL to a woman at Annabel's in January 2024; a further hearing is scheduled for 16 February.

Dihan Rahman pleaded guilty to possessing two videos and one document useful for terrorism after making threats against his school; the judge has ordered a pre-sentence report and sentencing is scheduled for May.

UK research funders have announced cuts to physics grants and shelved several large infrastructure projects, and hundreds of early-career researchers warn the changes could push many to take posts overseas.

Patricia Broom went for a hearing test at Boots to show her husband she could hear, but was told she had profound hearing loss in one ear and moderate loss in the other; she now uses hearing aids and is fundraising with a one million step challenge for the deaf charity RNID.

The University of Michigan's Consumer Sentiment Index rose to 57.3 in February, the highest since last August, while concerns about high prices and job risk remained widespread.

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.

Canada is opening a consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, and Governor General Mary Simon will attend the event; the step comes amid heightened tensions after U.S. President Donald Trump made public statements about Greenland's status.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies says freezing the repayment threshold will raise average lifetime repayments for Plan 2 borrowers by about £3,000, and the government has frozen the threshold for three years starting from the planned April rise.