Venezuela says it will start accepting repatriation flights from the U.S. again
By Joe Hernandez Venezuela has announced that it will resume accepting flights of its citizens who are deported by U.S. immigration authorities. Jorge Rodríguez, the president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, said on Saturday in a post on social media that the repatriation flights would begin again as early as Sunday. “Migration is not a crime,” […]
What’s the Definition of a ‘Moon’?
The UniverseFridays What Makes a Moon? Defining the word “moon” is harder than you might think By Phil Plait edited by Lee Billings A quintet of Saturn’s moons come together in this image from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft. Stay connected to The Universe: Get email alerts for this weekly column by Phil Plait Here’s a simple […]
Keir Starmer Talks Trump, Russia-Ukraine War and the Fragile Europe-US Alliance
Trump Administration The British prime minister said in a series of conversations that the tectonic shifts in America’s relationship with Europe and Russia had to be a ‘galvanizing moment.’ Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Barrow-in-Furness, England, on Thursday.Andrew Testa for The New York Times By Mark Landler Mark Landler spoke with Prime Minister Keir Starmer […]
Trump Wants to go to Mars. That’s Not Happening
Opinion We’re Not Going to Mars Anytime Soon—Despite What Musk Says Elon Musk and Donald Trump have announced ambitious plans to send a mission to Mars in 2026 and 2028. It’s not going to happen By Paul M. Sutter edited by Dan Vergano Elon Musk gives a tour to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and lawmakers […]
After 286 Days in Space, NASA Astronauts Return to Earth with a Splash
After 286 Days in Space, NASA Astronauts Return to Earth with a Splash NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams had been “stuck” at the International Space Station since June 6, 2024, after Boeing’s Starliner, the vehicle they rode to get there, ran into multiple hardware problems By Gayoung Lee edited by Lee Billings NASA […]
Pope Francis Will Be Discharged From the Hospital on Sunday, Doctors Say
Pope Francis The 88-year-old pontiff has been hospitalized for six weeks with pneumonia in both lungs. He will need to rest in the Vatican for at least two months, his doctors said. By Jason Horowitz and Elisabetta Povoledo Reporting from Rome Pope Francis’ condition has improved enough that he will be discharged from a hospital…
Trump says Boeing will build the new generation of fighter jets, the F-47
By Rebecca Rosman President Trump has announced that Boeing will build the U.S. Air Force’s next generation of fighter jets. “They will have unprecedented power,” Trump said on Friday, adding that “America’s enemies will never see [them] coming.” Trump is the 47th U.S. president and the jet is being called the F-47. “The generals picked…
Jake Paul Is Engaged to Dutch Speedskater Jutta Leerdam
Jake Paul has announced his engagement to Jutta Leerdam, an Olympic medal-winning Dutch speedskater. Find out more about his proposal and their road to romance. Boxer Jake Paul has moved on to a different kind of ring. The 28-year-old—who beat Mike Tyson in a boxing match last year—recently proposed to his Dutch girlfriend Jutta Leerdam.…
Movie Math Reveals the Formula for a Hollywood Blockbuster
Math Reveals the Formula for a Hollywood Blockbuster Most movies follow one of six emotional arcs. Which one sells the most tickets? By Manon Bischoff edited by Daisy Yuhas What was the last movie you saw in theaters? I rarely go to the movies anymore, partly because I prefer TV series—particularly action shows with spies…
The Sniper’s Nest
In One Image The Sniper’s Nest By Ivor Prickett and Peter Robins This is the commander of a sniper team in the Sudanese Army. His targets, members of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, are on the other side of the Blue Nile. So is Sudan’s presidential palace. The repeated use of a sniper rifle has…
Urgent investigation ordered into power outage that closed Heathrow Airport
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has ordered an urgent investigation into the power outage caused by a substation fire that shut Heathrow Airport on Friday. The investigation, led by the National Energy System Operator (NESO), would build a “clear picture” of the incident and UK’s energy resilience more broadly to prevent it “from ever happening again”,…
Trump revokes legal status of 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans
Move takes effect on 24 April as president weighs also stripping parole status from some 240,000 Ukrainians in US The new policy affects people who are already in the US and who came under the humanitarian parole program. It follows an earlier Trump administration decision to end what it called the “broad abuse” of the…
Judge in US deportations case says Trump administration lawyers were ‘disrespectful’
James Boasberg considers whether to maintain block on deportation of accused Venezuelan gang members A federal judge who temporarily blocked Donald Trump’s administration from deporting accused Venezuelan gang members under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act law condemned the lawyers for being “intemperate and disrespectful” in court. The Washington DC-based judge, James Boasberg, continues considering whether…
‘If Big George hit you, you stayed hit’: George Foreman obituary
George Foreman was a two-time heavyweight champion, winning his titles 21 years and nine months apart One version of George Foreman had only mayonnaise sandwiches to eat at school. Another was winning Olympic gold aged 19. Another was committing muggings at 15. The 20-something version of Foreman was one-third of heavyweight boxing’s “holy trinity”, with…
A Deep Dive Into Jason Momoa’s Romance With Adria Arjona
Jason Momoa, who shares two children with ex-wife Lisa Bonet, has found love with Hitman actress Adria Arjona. It wasn’t too long before Jason Momoa dipped his toe back into the dating pool once he and Lisa Bonet announced their separation in January 2022 after 16 years together, four of them as husband and wife. But…
Pakistan Is Trying to Integrate the ‘Most Dangerous Place’ on Earth. It’s Failing.
The country’s former tribal areas bordering Afghanistan are plagued by escalating militancy, leading to widespread disillusionment. By Zia ur-Rehman Zia ur-Rehman traveled to Pakistan’s former tribal districts bordering Afghanistan for this story. The rugged borderlands of northwestern Pakistan have long had a reputation for lawlessness and militancy, labeled by President Barack Obama as “the most…
Israel strikes multiple sites in southern Lebanon in response to rocket attack
By Kat Lonsdorf TEL AVIV, Israel — The Israeli military said it struck multiple Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, after several rockets were fired from there toward northern Israel Saturday morning. Lebanese health officials said two people had been killed, including a child, and several more were injured. Sirens rang out in the northern Israeli…
Can Earth’s Rotation Be a Power Source? Physicists Debate Bold New Idea
Can Earth’s Rotation Generate Electricity? Physicists Divided over Controversial Idea Experiments suggest an unusual magnetic material could help harness energy from Earth’s rotation. But not everyone is convinced By Elizabeth Gibney & Nature magazine A device can supposedly create a tiny current by manipulating Earth’s magnetic field as the planet rotates. Electricity can be generated…
Flights resume at London Heathrow after a daylong closure sparked travel chaos
By The Associated Press LONDON — London Heathrow Airport said it was “fully operational” on Saturday, after an almost daylong closure sparked by an electrical substation fire. But airlines warned that severe disruption will last for days as they scramble to relocate planes and crews and get travelers to their destinations. The airport’s boss said…
Every Hunger Games Easter Egg in Sunrise on the Reaping
Suzanne Collins’ newest Hunger Games installment, Sunrise on the Reaping, has been catching fire with fans, and we volunteer as tribute to provide you with all the key details you might’ve missed. Warning: This article contains spoilers from Sunrise on the Reaping. Take a trip back to the arena. Suzanne Collins’ latest Hunger Games novel,…
Trump’s Attempts to Resolve Global Conflicts Quickly Face Diplomatic Reality
Russia-Ukraine War news analysis Allies say the foreign policy version of “flood the zone” is working. But critics argue that the hurry-up approach in Israel, Ukraine and Iran may not lead to stable, durable solutions to conflicts around the world. By Michael D. Shear Reporting from London When it comes to confronting global conflicts, President…
Scientists identify ‘tipping point’ that caused clumps of toxic Florida seaweed
Giant blobs along 5,000-mile-wide sargassum belt has killed animals, harmed human health and discouraged tourism Scientists in Florida believe they have identified a “tipping point” in atmospheric conditions in the Atlantic Ocean they say caused giant clumps of toxic seaweed to inundate beaches around the Caribbean in recent summers. Previous theories for the Great Atlantic…
Walking Shouldn’t Be So Dangerous in the U.S.
Opinion Cross CurrentsFridays Walking Shouldn’t Be So Dangerous in the U.S. About 20 people die every day in the U.S. after being hit by a car. To make walking safer, we need a big cultural shift in how we view pedestrian safety By Megha Satyanarayana Houston Police Department officers investigate the site where a motorist…
Heavyweight boxing legend George Foreman dies aged 76
Boxing heavyweight legend George Foreman has died aged 76. Known as Big George in the ring, the American built one of the most remarkable and enduring careers in the sport, winning Olympic gold in 1968 and claiming the world heavyweight title twice, 21 years apart – the second making him the oldest champion in history…
Hegseth Orders Elimination of Pentagon Climate Planning, but Wants Extreme Weather Preparation
Hegseth Orders Elimination of Climate Defense Planning, but Still Wants Extreme Weather Preparation The Defense secretary aims to purge climate work from the Pentagon. But critics say his carve-out for weather resiliency misses the point By Scott Waldman & E&E News U.S Air Force airmen drive through flood waters caused by Hurricane Matthew at Seymour…
What on Earth is ‘natural capital’?
In this installment, we break down “natural capital,” a concept that could revolutionize the way nature is protected. What is “natural capital”? It’s the stock of renewable and non-renewable natural resources (e.g., plants, animals, air, water, soils, minerals) that combine to provide benefits to people. What kind of benefits are we talking about? The air…
Why Indigenous rights matter
Editor’s note: The attention given to Indigenous peoples in global policy processes such as the Paris Agreement reflects a growing acknowledgment of their knowledge, their rights and their crucial roles in helping to protect some of the world’s most important places for biodiversity. But while the importance of Indigenous rights is considered a given by…
Massive reforestation effort puts down roots in Brazilian Amazon
A new project seeks to kickstart a revival for the world’s largest rainforest by planting new trees — tens of millions of them. The project, announced Friday at the “Rock in Rio” music fest in Brazil, aims to restore 73 million trees in the Brazilian Amazon by 2023. Spanning 30,000 hectares of land (about 74,000…
Women conservation leaders ‘a tide lifting everyone’
The climate crisis affects women disproportionately: They’re 14 times more likely to die during a disaster and constitute 80 percent of all climate refugees. But a new wave of women conservation leaders is spearheading efforts around the world to prevent and adapt to the impacts wrought by climate breakdown. ELLE magazine dedicated its July issue…
Study: To make conservation go ‘viral,’ keep it simple, social
What makes a video go “viral”? What makes people stand in line for hours to buy a new smartphone or eat at a hip restaurant? And what does any of that have to do with conservation? A new study suggests that some of the same features that make a new gadget popular, such as simplicity,…
What on Earth is ‘reforestation’?
In this installment and video, we explore “reforestation,” a practice critical to stopping climate change. What’s reforestation? That’s easy: It’s helping to bring forest back to an area where it was destroyed. I have a feeling there’s more to it than that. Well, yes: Reforestation involves indigenous peoples, wildlife, breathable air — even the cocoa…
‘My Africa’ field notes: Portraits of hope for Africa’s elephants
Editor’s note: On April 20, Conservation International will release its new virtual reality film, “My Africa,” at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, with a world release on April 30. The film tells the story of a young Samburu woman in Kenya whose community is working to save elephants, reknitting an ancient coexistence between…
Voice of America staff sue Trump administration for shutting down network
David Folkenflik Six Voice of America journalists sued Kari Lake and the Trump administration on Friday, alleging their moves to shut down the U.S.-funded network were unlawful and unconstitutional. The journalists say that the government’s acts violate their First Amendment rights on free speech grounds and usurp the U.S. Congress’s control of the power of…
Flights Resume at Heathrow After Substation Fire Shut Down Airport
Heathrow Airport Closure The blaze forced Britain’s largest airport to cancel or divert more than 1,000 flights on Friday and removed a linchpin of global air travel. Counterterrorism police were investigating the cause of the fire. transcript “We have lost power equal to that of a mid-sized city, and our backup systems have been working…
The doctor is in: Indonesia’s whale sharks get annual check-up
Imagine swimming with a shark as big as a bus. Now imagine trying to measure, tag and take blood samples from this shark — giving it a physical, as in a typical doctor’s visit — but underwater and in less than 30 minutes. For nine days, I helped complete the world’s first health assessment of…
What on Earth is ‘land tenure’?
Editor’s note: In this installment, we break down “land tenure,” a concept with major implications for conservation. What is land tenure? At its most basic, “land tenure” refers to the rights of people or communities to manage (own and use) the land that they reside on. Meaning, if you reside on the land, you get…
What is Climate Week? 3 things you need to know
Editor’s Note: Climate Week is taking place from September 23 to September 29. Check Conservation News for coverage of this global forum. World leaders will gather next week for the three-day UN Climate Summit, aimed at redoubling countries’ efforts to curb climate-warming carbon emissions. Joining them in New York: business leaders, climate experts, activists and…
Stunning Antarctic Sea Creatures Discovered after Iceberg Breaks Away
Stunning Antarctic Sea Creatures Discovered after Iceberg Breaks Away A calving iceberg exposed a region that never before had been seen by human eyes, revealing a vibrant, thriving ecosystem By Ashley Balzer Vigil edited by Andrea Thompson A large sponge, a cluster of anemones, and other life is seen nearly 230 meters deep at an…
OnlyFans Model Allegedly Murdered Client While Filming BDSM Content
OnlyFans creator Michaela Rylaarsdam, known professionally as Asshley SinCal, is facing a murder charge after an alleged sexual encounter led to the death of a 56-year-old man. An OnlyFans creator is facing a murder charge after an alleged sexual encounter gone wrong. Michaela Rylaarsdam was charged over the 2023 death of Michael Dale, according to…
Power struggle leads to coup in Tigray as war looms between Ethiopia and Eritrea
Tigray’s interim leader flees as rival faction seizes control, while Ethiopian tanks and troops move to border of Eritrea Aregawi was building a tour-guiding business when war struck Ethiopia’s Tigray region in 2020. He spent the next two years fighting on the frontline. Now he is among those who fear Tigray is on the brink…
How did a single fire bring down Europe’s busiest airport?
It seems astounding that a single fire at an electricity source shut down one of the world’s busiest airports. The disruption to the journeys of thousands of passengers and millions of tonnes of trade goods on Friday has prompted a series of questions over the resilience of the UK’s major infrastructure. Disaster recovery plans keep…
Germany, ‘Orphaned’ by U.S., Shakes Off the Shock and Stirs to Action
Germany’s Politics News analysis No country in Europe is as much a product of enlightened postwar American diplomacy. Now adrift, it has begun to reckon with a new world. By Steven Erlanger Reporting from Berlin The United States gave Germany its democracy and its constitution. It supported German reunification when France and Britain had their…
Homeland Security makes cuts to civil rights and immigration oversight offices
Ximena Bustillo The Department of Homeland Security is cutting jobs in the oversight divisions focused on civil rights as a part of a broader reduction in force effort across the federal government. The affected offices, confirmed by DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, are the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), the Office of the…
New tech could transform science of wildlife ‘selfies’
A groundbreaking new effort could greatly expand our knowledge of where the wild things are. Placed by researchers in forests and natural areas around the world, motion-detector cameras — known as “camera traps” — snap thousands of photos a day of animals rarely seen by human eyes. These unwitting selfies have provided scientists an unequaled…
Off Panama’s coast, divers resurrect a ‘ghost’ of the deep
Editor’s note: Edgardo Ochoa was scouting for dive training sites in Panama Bay in 2000 when he made a troubling discovery. Nearly two decades later, as a marine safety officer for Conservation International (CI), he was able to do something about it. This is his story. Back in 2000, as a unit diving officer at…
To improve crop yields, just add trees
Editor’s note: To meet global food demand by 2050, production will have to increase by 60 percent, the FAO reports — yet agriculture is already a major source of deforestation. To meet humanity’s food needs, we must use land more sustainably and productively. One solution with potential is agroforestry, a practice that integrates trees and…
Report: Coffee companies pledge to tackle the bitter consequences of climate change
Freshly brewed, a new report on the future of sustainable coffee offers grounds for optimism. Released by the Sustainable Coffee Challenge — a Conservation International-led coalition of 160 partners — the report finds that a growing number of companies, non-governmental organizations and research institutions are dedicated to improving sustainability in the coffee industry. The report…
Protect nature or risk future pandemics, expert warns
Humanity’s continued assault on the environment could unleash another pandemic — and soon. Though every new infectious disease is unique, research shows many share a key feature: They are driven by the destruction of nature. In a recent interview with Conservation News, Vora discussed how his experience as a physician has helped him explore the…
Sudan’s Army Retakes the Presidential Palace in Khartoum
Sudan’s Civil War Two years into a civil war, troops recaptured the palace in Khartoum, routing a paramilitary foe. Civilians have been trapped in the middle in a city with an apocalyptic air. Two years into a civil war, troops recaptured the palace in Khartoum, routing a paramilitary foe. Civilians have been trapped in the…
Sudan’s army recaptures presidential palace in major battlefield gain
Compound was last bastion in the capital, Khartoum, held by rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces The Sudanese army has recaptured the presidential palace in the capital, Khartoum, in a highly symbolic battlefield victory over the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in the country’s catastrophic civil war. Videos posted on social media showed soldiers carrying assault rifles…
Justin Bieber Subtly Reacts to Critics “Tearing Hailey Bieber Apart”
Justin Bieber showed subtle support for his wife Hailey Bieber amid ongoing speculation over their relationship. Justin Bieber is taking a beat to support his beauty. The 31-year-old—amid heightened scrutiny over him and his relationship with Hailey Bieber—subtly reacted to the drama by liking an Instagram post discussing his wife. The post in question, shared…
What are my rights if my flight is cancelled?
Heathrow Airport is closed all day Friday due to a fire at a nearby electrical substation that supplies it with power. The UK’s busiest airport has warned of significant disruption over the coming days, with at least 1,300 flights in and out cancelled. What are your rights if your journey has been disrupted and can…
Elon Musk’s Pentagon visit sparks more questions about his access to sensitive files
Greg Myre Elon Musk visited the Pentagon on Friday. But questions about why ignited a fresh storm of controversy surrounding his access to sensitive government information. The New York Times, citing unnamed officials, reported that Musk would receive a briefing on U.S. plans for any potential conflict with China, which involve some of the military’s…
Education Dept. cuts could hurt low-income schools. And, an entertainment rundown
By Brittney Melton here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. President Trump signed an executive action yesterday to begin dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. The administration has promised that certain federal education grants, including for low-income and rural…
What we know so far about the Heathrow closure
Flights around the world have been disrupted after Heathrow Airport closed due to a fire at a nearby electrical substation. Heathrow, the UK’s busiest airport, said it was experiencing “significant” disruption after the blaze at North Hyde substation in Hayes, west London. More than 1,300 flights have been affected, tracking website Flightradar24 said, and passengers…
New map pinpoints where people depend on nature the most
More than two-thirds of the population of the tropics — about 2.7 billion people — directly depend on nature for at least one of their most basic needs, according to new research. The study, published today in the journal Global Environmental Change, is the first to quantify people’s dependence on nature, and underscores the extent…
Notes from the field: Forest drones, gorilla germs and more
Though news headlines about the state of the planet may seem bleak, they don’t always capture the whole story. Around the world, the work of protecting nature and the climate is happening in the field — and achieving triumphs that don’t always make the news. Here are three recent conservation success stories you should know…
New science: deep-sea hotspot, Indigenous ocean conservation and more
Protecting nature starts with science. Here’s a roundup of recent research published by Conservation International experts. Off the coast of Chile, the deep waters surrounding Easter Island are brimming with some of the densest populations of black corals on Earth, according to new research. Black corals create critical habitat for an abundance of deep-sea life,…
News spotlight: Humanity barreling toward ‘irreversible’ climate tipping points
Editor’s note: News about conservation and the environment is made every day, but some of it can fly under the radar. In a recurring feature, Conservation News shares a recent news story that you should know about. Our world is 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than it was at the dawn of the…
Why a new treaty to protect the high seas is a ‘game-changer’
Roughly two-thirds of the world’s oceans lie beyond national boundaries in an area known as the “high seas” — yet only about 1 percent of that vast and largely unexplored expanse has been protected. Now, after two decades of planning, intense negotiations and a final 36-hour marathon session, countries have agreed on the first-ever United…
‘Deported because of his tattoos’: has the US targeted Venezuelans for their body art?
US claims tattoos prove membership of Tren de Aragua gang but relatives describe tributes to God, family and Real Madrid Like many Venezuelans of his generation, Franco José Caraballo Tiapa is a man of many tattoos. There is one of a rose, one of a lion, and another – on the left side of the…
Kanzi the Bonobo, Who Learned Language and Made Stone Tools, Dies at Age 44
Kanzi the Bonobo, Who Learned Language and Made Stone Tools, Dies at Age 44 What we learned about ape and human cognition from Kanzi the bonobo, who died this week By Kate Wong edited by Jeanna Bryner Kanzi the bonobo died on March 18, 2025, at the age of 44. Kanzi the bonobo, who learned…
How Meryl Streep Reacted After Learning Eva Longoria Is Her Cousin
Eva Longoria revealed that Meryl Streep had the sweetest reaction to finding out they’re cousins, saying that the Oscar winner quipped, “Clearly you got the beauty.” Eva Longoria has only family members in the building. The Desperate Housewives alum shared that she recently discovered she’s related to Meryl Streep while appearing on an episode of…
Zimbabwean millennial Kirsty Coventry gets Olympic top job
By Kate Bartlett JOHANNESBURG, South Africa—Zimbabwean Olympic swimmer Kirsty Coventry has had an eventful career, from the pool, to parliament. The country’s former dictator, Robert Mugabe, called her “a golden girl,” while the man who deposed him in a coup — Emmerson “the Crocodile” Mnangagwa – appointed her his minister of sports. Now the 41-year-old…
Heathrow Airport closes all day over power outage
Heathrow Airport is closing all day Friday because of a large fire at a nearby electrical substation that supplies it. The airport is experiencing a “significant power outage” because of the fire, a statement from Heathrow said. “To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23:59 on 21 March,”…