Extreme heat and human-caused air pollution have led to dangerous levels of ground-level ozone, affecting almost 40 per cent of the world’s population this year This year, nearly 40 per cent of the world’s population has been exposed to ground-level ozone – a pollutant created when specific pollutants react with sunlight and high temperatures – affecting human health and ecosystems alike. The findings were published by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) yesterday. In 2026, factors such as major heatwaves and wildfires have been more prevalent, allowing organic compounds from sources such as transport, industry, domestic solvents and vegetation to react in sunlight under favourable conditions – leading to the production of high levels of ground-level ozone. Enjoying this article? Check out our related reads… In the first eight months of 2026, the new findings show that just five per cent of the world’s population has been exposed to ‘Good’ levels of […]

At the UN General Assembly, governments speak for individual nations. Who takes responsibility for the relationships that connect them? At the United Nations General Assembly, the world takes the form of a succession of national statements. Governments explain what threatens their security, what their economies require and what they expect from others. The arrangement is familiar enough to seem natural. Yet it encourages a particular understanding of international politics: that countries arrive with separate interests, and cooperation begins when those interests can be persuaded to overlap. This year’s United Nations General Assembly discussions offer a reason to question that starting point. The UN’s climate event on 23 September brought energy transition, energy security and climate justice together within its stated agenda. These are not separate national concerns awaiting diplomatic coordination. They are different aspects of relationships that already connect countries, distributing benefits and burdens between them. The difficulty is that governments can […]

Around 320mm of rain fell in Bangkok across just two to three days –almost equivalent to what the city expects in the entire month of September

How warnings over AI became a market-moving battle between tech bosses, investors and politicians

Rory Walsh explores South London’s Victorian vision of prehistoric Britain

New European satellites – Sentinel-3C and FLEX – will help scientists detect wildfires, monitor water quality, understand vegetation health and more

LGBTQ+ refugees have fled persecution across East Africa in search of safety. In South Sudan’s Gorom Refugee Settlement, many say that the violence and harassment have followed them

In this month’s issue, venture to Iceland, South Sudan, Alaska and more…

Test your knowledge with our human geography quiz and discover how much you really understand about the human world.

Human-induced climate change played a role in the ‘preconditioning of the disaster’ that killed 1,400 and left 6,150 missing A new study by research group World Weather Attribution has revealed how climate change was a likely factor leading to the devastating floods across Nepal and Tibet. Published on Thursday, the report stated how human-caused global warming thinned glaciers and melted mountain permafrost – ground that usually stays frozen – and ultimately intensified processes that destabilised the glacier ice and rock wall near the peak of Langtang Lirung mountain. The collapse led to 110 million cubic metres of rock and ice hitting the valley below, triggering huge flash floods that travelled at more than 177 kilometres per hour (110mph). Enjoying this article? Check out our related reads… ‘Rock avalanches of this size are rare, with annual frequency estimates of approximately one event this size every 1,000–10,000 years,’ said the study. ’This […]

As wildfires become more frequent, their smoke is reducing bird diversity beyond the areas directly burned, according to a study conducted in North America

Just an hour north of Luxor, on the banks of the Nile in Upper Egypt, Dandara remains largely untouched by mass tourism. The town reveals a different side of Egypt, where living heritage, strong family ties and community celebrations remain woven into everyday life

The last detected small asteroid was spotted a week ago, monitored by the new tool five hours before entering the atmosphere above the Indian Ocean A new tool developed by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) NEO Coordination Centre is able to forecast where fragments of an incoming imminent asteroid will fall. Enjoying this article? Check out our related reads… Also known as imminent impactors, these small asteroids are often discovered a few hours before impact and are constantly monitored by the ESA’s Meerkat system. The last recorded imminent impactor – the 2.6-foot-long ‘2026 RW1’ – was discovered on 6 September around five hours before entering the atmosphere above the Indian Ocean, marking the 13th time scientists have ever discovered an asteroid before impact. The new tool allows scientists to see where these asteroid fragments will land, without direct observations of fireballs or over areas not covered by all-sky cameras. Many asteroids […]

Challenge your knowledge with a physical geography quiz covering rivers, glaciers, and Earth’s stunning landscapes.

From a fluorescing squat lobster to a sleeping swan cygnet — the winning images of the 2026 British Wildlife Photography Awards

Combining satellite data with traditional media reporting can help shed light on underreported aspects of conflicts

Iran-backed group reiterated they would target vessels from Saudi Arabia after seizing key Red Sea port city

Wildfires in Indonesia are the most intense in 11 years, burning through forests and peatland in both Borneo and Sumatra

Rory Walsh explores the Early Jurassic geology, the ‘fata morgana’ mist illusion and the legends beneath Glastonbury Tor

From ancient settlements to caves inside gorges, discover some of the places that could become the next UNESCO World Heritage Sites

If a ban goes ahead, it will leave just Norway and Japan as the sole countries in the world to continue commercial whaling Iceland’s government will submit a bill to permanently ban whaling in February next year – a decision that would leave just two countries, Norway and Japan, as nations permitting commercial whaling. Related reads… ‘There is considerable political and public support for this bill to ban commercial whaling, ​and compelling ethical, veterinary, legal and conservation reasons to hope it succeeds,’ ​said Humane World for Animals spokeswoman Wendy Higgins. ‘Every whale killed by an exploding harpoon in Icelandic waters is a tragic loss of life needlessly taken for an industry that has no purpose. A law to stop the killing can’t come soon enough.’ Already in this year’s hunting season in Iceland, 80 fin whales – the second-largest animal living on Earth – have been caught (as of 9 […]

Shafik Meghji explores Cal Flyn’s The Savage Landscape, a wide-ranging examination of our romanticised notions of wilderness

Test your knowledge with our continents quiz and discover fun facts about the world’s seven continents.

83 per cent of British cities are highly vulnerable to heat, with Portsmouth most at risk, new analysis finds

As Ukraine rebuilds amid continuing Russian attacks, communities such as Makariv are fighting to ensure their needs aren’t overlooked

Scientists believe the climate crisis played a role in deadly floods last month in a country responsible for less than 0.1 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions Nepal is seeking $20million in compensation following the devastating floods in the country last month, arguing that major emitters should be held responsible for climate-related impacts faced by countries that contribute little to global warming. The flash floods in the Bhotekoshi River basin have killed more than 1,380 people and left at least 5,500 missing after floodwaters mixed with debris, mud, stones and rocks destroyed homes, bridges and hydropower infrastructure. Related reads… Nepal’s foreign minister Shisir Khanal said Nepal has sought relief from the UN’s Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage – created in 2022 to help vulnerable countries recover in the wake of climate-related disasters – and requested $20million in climate-related damages. ‘We have contributed so little to climate change,’ Khanal […]

Test your knowledge of south america flags with our fun and engaging quiz. How many can you identify?

The tropical mosquito found in East London is able to transmit Zika virus and dengue, according to experts

New documentary features human stories and powerful cinematography showing how humanity can build a safe and thriving future for all by working with nature

Test your geography skills with our country shapes quiz. Identify countries by their outlines alone, no hints included.

A floating island of trees in British Columbia’s largest reservoir was spotted in August, disappeared entirely from satellite imagery, then reappeared

More than half of children aged 11 to 14 have never climbed a tree, and nine in 10 have never learned to recognise birds by sight or sound New research has found that children in England may be growing up with fewer everyday experiences of nature – yet their desire to understand and protect nature remains strong. According to the study – which surveyed more than 1,000 children and their parents in England – more than half of children aged 11 to 14 have never climbed a tree. Seven in 10 have never made a daisy chain, and nine in 10 have never learned to recognise birds by sight or sound. Enjoying this article? Check out our related reads… Eighty-five per cent have never caught tadpoles or watched frogspawn develop, while more than three quarters have never built a den from branches and leaves or identified a wildflower, tree, animal, bird […]

The warnings were clear, but the response fell short. Now intensifying wildfires threaten to push the climate crisis beyond repair

New UN report suggests best-case scenario peak temperature rise is 1.8°C; others suggest more than 2°C – but scientists say we can still return from higher temperatures

Aid workers face record violence as armed drones, shrinking humanitarian budgets and widespread impunity make delivering vital assistance increasingly dangerous worldwide

Put your knowledge to the test with our capital cities quiz and discover how well you know world capitals.

For Ukrainian soldiers the sound of drones has become a trigger for a new kind of trauma. Bostjan Videmsek reports from Ukraine on the mental-health emergency facing millions of veterans.

Discover more about tidal bores, the unusual phenomenon where rivers run backwards around the world

In Episode 5 of On the Ground, the Geographical podcast, we speak to the whistleblower who spent a decade exposing the water industry

Challenge yourself with a physical geography quiz to test your knowledge of landscapes and Earth’s natural processes.

Cars use advanced sensors to navigate complex traffic. Now, a new generation of e-bikes is finally getting the same upgrade

Senegal has pledged to expand its protected coastal fishing zone, offering hope to small-scale fishers hit by industrial fishing

In Episode 5 of On the Ground, the Geographical podcast, we speak to the whistleblower who spent a decade exposing the water industry

Gertrude Bell’s remarkable life as an explorer, archaeologist and influential figure who helped shape the modern Middle East after WWI

Test your knowledge with the Africa flags quiz. How many African flags can you recognise correctly?

Few journalists have reached Myanmar’s Karenni State since the 2021 coup. Sean Sutton reports on the communities determined to return home

A new study is first to find that a humpback whale’s song structure is directly connected to its movement through water

As the Danube’s water levels fall, power plants, cargo shipping and passenger vessels are feeling the effects

Two earthquakes struck neighbouring countries, but geology alone doesn’t explain the vastly different death tolls