Great Barrier Reef coral cover rose or held steady across all three regions in 2025/26, AIMS survey shows. Northern reefs up 16.7% to 35.1%, central up 10.2% to 31.6%, as late monsoon cooled seas and limited bleaching.

China's Yellow River marks 27 consecutive years of uninterrupted flow, the Ministry of Water Resources says Wednesday.

China's Ministry of Water Resources said Wednesday that the Yellow River, China's second-longest river, has maintained an uninterrupted flow for 27 consecutive years.

France places 78 departments under orange heat alert as temperatures forecast to reach 40C; nearly 70% of the country now under water-use restrictions

France puts 78 departments under orange heat alert; temperatures are forecast to reach 40C as a heat wave sweeps across the country, with nearly 70% of France currently under water-use restrictions.

Italy declares drought emergency across northern regions including Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto and the Marche. Switzerland increases water releases from Lake Lugano to aid Lake Maggiore.

Lake Maggiore is suffering from drought and Switzerland is increasing releases from Lake Lugano. Water is also scarce in Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto and the Marche: this is Italy's new emergency.

Australian researchers grow human heart valve tissue from stem cells in study published in Cell Stem Cell, offering a new platform to study childhood heart disease.

Researchers at Australia's Murdoch Children's Research Institute have created human heart valve tissues from stem cells, according to a study published in Cell Stem Cell. The lab-grown tissues could advance treatments for childhood heart valve disease and help model inflammatory conditions such as rheumatic heart disease.