The Scientist

Scientists describe a 'super El Niño' now bursting through global temperature records, with the climate phenomenon expected to keep intensifying in the months before it reaches its peak. The Guardian reports the strength of the event has stunned researchers, raising fresh concern about extreme weather, heatwaves and warming impacts worldwide as forecasters monitor its trajectory.

A strike hit the building of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv. Anatoliy Zahorodniy, the Academy's president, said two academics have been killed and contact has been lost with several others. The incident has drawn attention to attacks on scientific and civilian institutions in the Ukrainian capital as the war continues.

A super El Niño has pushed global temperatures past existing records months before the event is expected to reach its peak, the Guardian reports. Scientists warn the pattern is driving exceptional heat worldwide and could bring further record-breaking months as the phenomenon intensifies into 2027.

NASA has cancelled the Mars Sample Return mission, the long-planned effort to bring rocks collected by the Perseverance rover back to Earth. The programme had suffered years of cost overruns and schedule delays, with independent reviews estimating costs well above initial projections. The move leaves the future of returning Martian material to laboratories on Earth in serious doubt, and scientists are weighing what the cancellation means for Mars exploration.

Russian strikes on Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences have killed two scientists, according to reports from the region. The attack underscores the ongoing toll of the war on Ukraine's academic and research community. Details about the victims, the precise location of the strike, and the timing of the attack remain limited in early reporting.

The United Nations is warning that time is running out to restore the world's forests, saying the window for meaningful action is narrowing. The warning underscores growing concern among scientists and policymakers that deforestation and degradation are outpacing current restoration efforts, with major implications for climate goals and biodiversity worldwide.

Scientists are warning that extreme temperatures driven by the ongoing 'super' El Niño could cause nearly half a million deaths by February. The warning links the intensified El Niño pattern to dangerous heat extremes, and the figure is drawing attention online as people share and discuss the scale of the projected human toll.

Meteorologists report that this year's El Niño is on track to become the strongest ever recorded. Scientists warn the event may offer a preview of what a warming climate could bring, as El Niño typically drives extreme heat, droughts, and floods across many parts of the world. Commentators are urging preparation for disruptive weather patterns in the months ahead.

Climate watchers are warning that the El Niño event now developing in the Pacific could be so intense it falls outside existing scientific classification. Reporting by Inside Climate News highlights concerns that this cycle may exceed the categories scientists normally use to describe El Niño strength, raising fears of severe heat, drought and flooding impacts worldwide.

New satellite imagery shows Greenland and Antarctica have together lost more than 12 trillion tons of ice over the past half-century, according to a report by Smithsonian Magazine. The findings underline the accelerating pace of polar ice melt and its implications for global sea levels, with scientists warning that continued losses could have serious consequences for coastal communities worldwide.

Hurricane Polo, a storm in the Pacific, is prompting scientists to openly discuss the idea of a Category 6 on the hurricane scale, which currently tops out at Category 5. Observers say the storm's intensity has revived debate about whether the existing classification system is adequate for increasingly powerful hurricanes, and the discussion is drawing widespread and alarmed public attention.

Scientists warn that several of the 'planetary boundaries' that keep Earth's systems stable enough to support human life have been crossed, with the Guardian reporting that climate crisis thresholds are among those breached. The assessment suggests humanity is now operating outside the safe environmental limits needed for flourishing ecosystems, prompting renewed debate about political inaction and the urgency of emissions cuts.

Trump's nominee to lead the FDA declined to give direct answers when Senator Patty Murray pressed them on basic, scientifically settled questions at a confirmation hearing. Murray publicized the exchange, drawing wide attention and criticism from scientists and lawmakers who say the agency's leadership must be firmly grounded in accepted medical and scientific evidence.

A STAT News survey reports that recent U.S. immigration policy changes are prompting foreign-born scientists and researchers to leave the country. Respondents describe visa uncertainty and tightening rules as factors behind decisions to move their work abroad, raising concerns about the long-term impact on American science and research institutions.

Reflect Orbital has drawn warnings from astronomers after US regulators approved work on its plan to reflect sunlight to Earth from space. Astronomer Federico Benvenuti said the company's reported goal of launching 50,000 mirrors by 2035 'would be catastrophic for astronomy'. Scientists and dark-sky advocates are raising concerns about light pollution, satellite trails and the loss of naturally dark skies.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that negotiations with the United States are impossible, citing American attacks on Iranian infrastructure, the killing of Iranian scientists, and strikes on universities. The statement marks a sharp deterioration in diplomatic rhetoric between Tehran and Washington, with observers weighing what it means for prospects of any future talks.

The European scientific community has issued a warning that proposed or enacted changes to EU pesticide legislation amount to a 'dangerous step backward' in environmental and health protections. According to Le Monde, researchers fear the rollback of current safeguards could increase pesticide use and exposure across Europe, sparking debate over the future direction of the bloc's agricultural and environmental policy.

Scientists and commentators are weighing what is driving this summer's extreme heat, pointing to a combination of El Niño conditions and long-term climate change caused by burning fossil fuels. Greenhouse gas emissions are pushing global temperatures higher, making heatwaves more frequent and intense, and some warn that 2027 could bring even worse conditions as these factors compound.

Politico reports on a coordinated campaign targeting climate researchers, detailing how scientists face harassment, intimidation and efforts to discredit their work. The piece examines who is behind the pressure and its impact on climate science and those who conduct it.