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This Norwegian village is one of the fastest-warming places on Earth
LONGYEARBYEN, Norway, 21 October 2026 (Guardian) - On a rugged mountain plateau of snow-dusted rocks, in the remote archipelago of Svalbard, a glaciologist, Andy Hodson, points out the “ears” of ice, white against the rock, that gave Foxfonna glacier its name, after the arctic fox. But in Svalbard, where glaciers cover 57% of the land and temperatures are rising up to seven times faster than the global average, making it one of the fastest-warming places on Earth, Foxfonna is changing rapidly. |
Japan, US launch drills focusing on islands near Taiwan
TOKYO, Japan, 21 October 2026 (TT) - Japanese and US troops on Monday started one of their largest joint exercises focusing on the defense of Japan’s southwestern islands and showcasing advanced weapons systems in the face of growing tension in the region. About 45,000 Japanese troops and 12,000 US service members are participating in the biennial Keen Sword 27. Seven other nations from the Indo-Pacific region and Europe are also taking part in some elements of the exercises, five of them - France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the Philippines - for the first time, the Japanese Joint Staff Office said. |
The British island where red squirrels are thriving
JERSEY, Channel Islands, 20 October 2026 (BBC) - With growing concerns that red squirrels could soon become extinct in England, one Channel Island is a corner of the British Isles where they maintain a stronghold. Jersey is home to a thriving red squirrel population, thanks to the complete absence of grey squirrels, which carry a virus deadly to their red cousins. |
Indigenous protest against projects on Indonesia’s 'geothermal island'
JAKARTA, Indonesia, 20 October 2026 (D+C) - On the Indonesian volcanic island of Flores, a state-owned company is pushing ahead with controversial geothermal projects in the name of climate neutrality. The Indigenous groups living there are protesting, calling for greater involvement – and the German development bank KfW has suspended its funding following criticism. |
Over 1,500 U.S. lobster tags end up on Atlantic islands
MADRID, Spain, 19 October 2026 (AS) - Plastic pollution in our oceans has become a serious problem collecting in massive garbage patches on the open water but it is often difficult to tell where it is coming from. However, a group of scientists at the University of the Azores were able to track some of the plastic pollution washing up on the shores of Faial and Pico islands. The researchers began to notice that some pieces of plastic had similar series of numbers on them. Once they figured out what they were used for, they were able to discover where they came from, the lobster fisheries off the coast of the United States and Canada over 2,000 miles away. |
Making 30x30 count for nature and people
GLAND, Switzerland, 20 October 2026 (IUCN) - Launched at CBD COP17, the IUCN Global Standard for Effective and Equitable Protected and Conserved Areas – the IUCN Global PCA Standard – gives every protected and conserved area a common framework to assess, improve and demonstrate performance. |
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