Two insect species never before seen in the UK have been discovered in a forest in Lochaber.
The two male fungus gnats were caught along with tens of thousands of insects in a special trap in 2018.
They were identified by Ian Strachan after he carefully sifted through the specimens.
The species - Boletina gusakovae and Mycetophila idonea - are usually found in parts of continental Europe and were trapped at Loch Arkaig Pine Forest.
Mr Strachan said: "My guess is that these two have always been here, or at least for a long time, but just not found before."
Woodland Trust Scotland, which manages the forest, said Boletina gusakovae is usually found in Finland and Russia and Mycetophila idonea in Estonia, Poland, Slovakia, Georgia and Luxembourg.
Feb 14, 2020
Antarctica Witnesses Hottest Temperature
The Antarctic registered a temperature of more than 20 degree Celcius for the first time in history.
The 20.75C logged by Brazilian scientists at Seymour Island on 9 February was almost a full degree higher than the previous record of 19.8C, taken on Signy Island in January 1982.
On 6 February, an Argentinian research station at Esperanza had measured 18.3C, which was the highest reading on the continental Antarctic peninsula.
The record temperatures are consistent with a broader trend on the peninsula and nearby islands, which have warmed by almost 3C since the pre-industrial era – one of the fastest rates on the planet.
Feb 13, 2020
Italy Told to Stop Using Malaysia as Plastics Dumping Ground
The Italian government was urged to end the illicit export of plastic waste to Malaysia after an investigation exposed the environmental and health implications of the country being used as a prime dumping ground for unrecyclable plastic.
Demand for plastic is the second highest in the EU, after Germany, and it is the sixth-largest exporter of plastic waste to Malaysia. Malaysian imports of plastic waste from wealthy countries have risen dramatically since China, previously the world's biggest importer, imposed a ban in January 2018.
EU law stipulates that member states can export plastic waste to non-EU countries only if it is recyclable, and that recycling companies must adhere to the environmental and technical standards required of treatment facilities in Europe.
Feb 12, 2020
Fall in Penguin Numbers in Antarctica
According to scientists studying the impact of climate change, the number of chinstrap penguins in some colonies in Western Antarctica has fallen by as much as 77% since they were last surveyed in the 1970s. The chinstrap penguin, named after the narrow black band under its head, inhabits the islands and shores of the Southern Pacific and Antarctic Oceans and feeds on krill.
Feb 11, 2020
Britain, Ireland hit as Storm Ciara whips over northwest Europe
Britain and Ireland were lashed by howling winds and inundated with driving rain on Sunday as Storm Ciara left homes without power, wiped out sports events and disrupted travel around northern Europe.
The bad weather also hit France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany throughout Sunday, causing scores of flights to be cancelled.
In Britain, more than 30,000 homes were left without power, largely in eastern England.
The highest wind speed recorded was 150kmh at Aberdaron, on the tip of northwest Wales's Llyn peninsula.
Cauvery delta to be declared a protected agriculture zone
Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Sunday announced that the Cauvery delta region would be declared a Protected Special Agriculture Zone as a step towards ensuring food security of the State.
The announcement was widely hailed by political parties and farmers' organisations, while the DMK termed it a "diversionary tactic".
The State government would never give its approval for projects such as hydrocarbon exploration in the delta region.
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