Storm Francis hits the UK and Ireland – in pictures

Windsurfers at Westward Ho! in Devon Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA A surfer in Eastbourne, East Sussex Photograph:…

Reps. Malinowski and Riggleman introduce bipartisan resolution condemning QAnon

A bipartisan pair of congressmen on Tuesday introduced a resolution condemning the fringe conspiracy theory QAnon,…

From war to ‘witch marks’: graffiti carved into New Forest trees reveals past lives

Project includes inscriptions dating back hundreds of years spotted by members of the public Some are…

Legal challenge over UK’s exclusion of incinerators from emissions target

An environmental campaigner is mounting a legal challenge to the government’s decision to exclude waste incinerators…

‘The aliens to watch’: how the humble earthworm is altering the Arctic

They are a gardener’s best friend, good for the soil and a treat for birds. But…

Over 60 million chickens in England and Wales rejected over disease and defects

More than 61 million chickens were rejected because of diseases and defects at slaughterhouses in England…

Special branches: the nominations to be England’s tree of the year – in pictures

The Shoe Tree in Heaton Park, Newcastle, is so named because students throw their footwear into…

‘It’s terrifying’: can anyone stop China’s vast armada of fishing boats?

The recent discovery by the Ecuadorean navy of a vast fishing armada of 340 Chinese vessels…

UK sets out law to curb illegal deforestation and protect rainforests

The government has announced plans to introduce a new law to clamp down on illegal deforestation…

Country diary: oilseed rape is a mixed blessing for bumblebees

Most of our 24 British bumblebee species follow the familiar stripy, mousy or red-tailed formats, but…