Breaking Waves: Ocean News

From little acorns … to his 1,000th article for the Guardian country diary

admin — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 12:00:30 +0000

As Mark Cocker approaches a landmark for the world’s oldest column in an English-language newspaper, he is still inspired by powerful encounters with nature

US corporate lobbyists mounted ‘blitz’ to dilute landmark EU deforestation law, report finds

admin — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 11:00:31 +0000

Environmental watchdog Mighty Earth reveals two-year effort to postpone and weaken EU Deforestation Regulation

US corporate lobbyists launched a two-year “blitz” to postpone and weaken the world’s most progressive legislation to protect forests, according to a new investigation by the environmental watchdog Mighty Earth.

Honeybees are barging aside wild pollinators in hunt for pollen and nectar, study finds

admin — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 09:00:27 +0000

As a surge in beekeepers has lead to increased numbers of honeybees, researchers record them pushing bumblebees and other rival species away from flowers

Honeybees are outcompeting wild pollinators for resources by aggressively bumping into them and chasing them away from flowers, research has shown.

Squash down: smaller pumpkins expected this Halloween after drought in England

admin — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 09:00:26 +0000

Data shows 2026 could be worst harvest on record, as growers suggest painting faces on vegetables instead of carving

In the lead-up to Halloween, front porches across the country feature fat, proudly carved pumpkins, lit from within by tea lights.

But this year there is likely to be a shortage due to drought, experts have warned, with the squashes much smaller than usual.

Healey backs pro-growth case for Heathrow third runway after Burnham ducks issue

admin — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 21:30:12 +0000

Chancellor says government will study responses to public consultation, with airports being ‘big part of jobs and growth’

John Healey has said there is a pro-growth case for going ahead with a third runway at Heathrow despite the prime minister declining to back it.

Brazilian Amazon deforestation falls to lowest on record as pivotal vote looms

admin — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 18:56:50 +0000

Forest clearance at smallest total since records began in 1988 in success for Lula ahead of presidential run-off

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has fallen to its lowest level since records began, new government data shows.

US voters want more action on global heating. Why are Democrats and Republicans staying silent?

admin — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 15:00:04 +0000

Polls show that Democrats and Republicans in battleground states want to hear more from candidates about the climate crisis

Most Americans feel unease or alarm about the climate crisis and, in both red and blue states, want to know how political leaders are going to fix it. But in midterm election campaigns across the US, candidates have responded to this desire with near silence.

For restaurants Covid-19 was a crisis – pandemic loans are proving a disaster

admin — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 13:00:11 +0000

Low-interest loans kept many eateries afloat. But the industry never recovered enough for them to repay the debt

For almost 20 years, Jai Mazumdar has served vegetarian curries, samosas, gulab jamun and other Indian delicacies at Spice N Curry, a cafe and grocery nestled inside a modest strip mall near Florida International University (FIU) in Miami. When the Covid-19 pandemic devastated his business, as it did with so many restaurants, Mazumdar took out a $370,000 economic injury disaster loan (EIDL) from the federal government in early 2021.

Iguazu Falls in South America hits record 10 times normal water flow – video

admin — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 09:37:13 +0000

Iguazu Falls, an Unesco world heritage site, has reached a record water flow after heavy rains across the river basin. El Niño weather patterns are said to have driven the water flow to hit 10 times the normal amount. Usually the water flow is 1.5m litres per second, but local government registered a flow of 15m litres of water per second.

Argentina temporarily closes Iguazu Falls after El Niño-fuelled surge in water levels

Flash floods destroy villages in central Nepal

admin — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 08:51:27 +0000

Landslide blocks river and triggers downstream flooding, while summer temperatures persist in Portugal

Flash floods have swept through Nepal’s central Gorkha district after a pre-dawn landslide on 11 October blocked the Budhi Gandaki River, triggering severe downstream flooding. Two villages in the worst-affected Chumanubri rural municipality were reportedly destroyed, with homes, roads and bridges washed away. Part of a hydropower station was also damaged.