Party’s pitch to voters in May Holyrood elections dismissed as ‘profoundly unserious, almost comically so’ by analysts
UK politics live – latest updates
Reform UK would slash what it calls “highly dubious” environmental protection measures to help fund a £2bn cut to income tax in Scotland if it won May’s Holyrood elections, the party has said.
Malcolm Offord, the multimillionaire financier who was announced as leader of Reform UK in Scotland 10 days ago, used his first major speech to announce plans to realign the country’s tax system – where higher earners currently pay significantly more – with the rest of the UK and institute a 1p-in-the-pound cut across the board.
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01/26/2026 - 11:36
01/26/2026 - 09:00
Queensland government says it has already killed six of the 10 dingoes seen near the body of 19-year-old Piper James
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Dingo experts have said a decision to kill a 10-strong pack of the animals linked with the death of Canadian tourist Piper James on K’gari could push the island’s population towards extinction while doing little to protect humans.
The Queensland government revealed on Sunday it had already killed six of the pack seen around the body of the 19-year-old in a move that has angered the island’s traditional owners who have said they were not consulted.
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01/26/2026 - 09:00
The Wilderness Society lodges complaint with consumer watchdog over hardware and garden chain’s sale of timber sourced from NSW Forestry Corporation
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One of Australia’s biggest environment groups has accused Bunnings of “greenwashing” its timber, claiming it may have sold products illegally logged by the New South Wales forestry agency.
The Wilderness Society (TWS) has asked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to investigate the hardware and garden chain because it could be selling unlawfully logged timber, despite Bunnings’ policies and websites promoting responsible sourcing.
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01/26/2026 - 08:44
More than 100 people killed and hundreds of thousands displaced in South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe
Devastating floods have killed more than 100 people in southern Africa since the beginning of the year and displaced hundreds of thousands, as authorities and aid workers warn of hunger, cholera and attacks by crocodiles that have spread with the waters.
More than 70 people have died in Zimbabwe and 30 in South Africa, where hundreds of people were evacuated from Kruger national park earlier this month after a deluge of rain.
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01/26/2026 - 06:30
The variety and scope of entries to the global Walk of Water photography contest reflect the intimate connection between water and humanity
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01/26/2026 - 00:00
Researchers observed the primates switching social groups and passing information on where to find the ripest fruit
Spider monkeys share tips about where to find food by changing their social groups in a “clever system for sharing insider knowledge”, research has shown.
They were observed to frequently switch subgroups of three or more individuals in a way that enabled them to share information about the location of fruit trees and timing of when they would ripen.
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01/26/2026 - 00:00
npj Ocean Sustainability, Published online: 26 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s44183-025-00161-2
Estimating the economic damage caused by climate change to Korean aquaculture
01/25/2026 - 22:46
Death toll sparks calls for companies to be fined under animal welfare legislation over mass fish deaths
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At least 4 million salmon died prematurely at Tasmanian fish farms in 2025, with new data from the state’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) suggesting about 500,000 fish died in November and December as ocean temperatures warmed.
Scientific studies indicate Atlantic salmon are adversely affected when ocean temperatures approach 18C. At higher temperatures, salmon encounter less oxygenated water, suffer from liver and kidney damage, have less appetite and become more vulnerable to disease.
This article was republished with permission from the Tasmanian Inquirer
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01/25/2026 - 20:59
Residents near Otways fire in Victoria urged to prepare to evacuate, while Ouyen and Mildura forecast to record 49C on Tuesday
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South Australia faced another day of searing heat on Monday, as Victorians prepared for conditions forecast to be the hottest in history and more than 1,100 residents told to get ready to evacuate ahead of extreme fire danger.
Tuesday could see heat records broken throughout Victoria and eastern South Australia, with maximums expected to be near 50C across inland areas, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
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01/25/2026 - 08:27
After analyzing 40 years of tree records across the Andes and Amazon, researchers found that climate change is reshaping tropical forests in uneven ways. Some regions are steadily losing tree species, especially where conditions are hotter and drier, while others are seeing gains. Rainfall patterns turned out to be just as important as rising temperatures.

