SCIENCE & NATURE

Nesting cranes lay the first egg in southern Britain in more than 400 years.

Strengthening biosecurity at UK borders and a plant health risk register would help protect the nation's trees from pests and diseases, a report concludes.

Getting ready for the "Full English" in orbit

Colin Pillinger, famous for the "Beagle 2 Mars" mission, says the value of sending astronaut Tim Peake into space "should not be underestimated".

UK astronaut Tim Peake is to fly to the International Space Station, launching on a Soyuz rocket in November or December 2015.

Global temperature rises will be slower in the coming decades say researchers but the long term picture is consistent.

The prospect of a deep sea "gold rush" opening a controversial new frontier for mining on the ocean floor has moved a step closer.

Students in Ghana launch a model of a satellite attached to a balloon for the first time.

Hundreds of birds and marine animals wash up on the Chilean coast, raising fears fishermen might be flouting a ban on blast fishing.

A tree expert says the biggest threat facing UK trees is likely to come from a disease currently unknown to science.

GPS data could provide faster and more accurate early warning systems for tsunamis, a German team of scientists suggest.

A "puffin census" has started on the Farne Islands in Northumberland, with National Trust rangers surveying how many breeding pairs of the birds live there.

Has global warming plateaued? As the critics say, the past decade has seen hardly any change in global air temperatures. If warming has stalled, what are the implications for climate change policy? The BBC's environment analyst Roger Harrabin reports.

The UK's spring butterflies are being welcomed by enthusiasts, but weeks later than they usually arrive.

The raw power of the Sun as it unleashes the strongest radiation storms yet seen in 2013

Scientists get their hands dirty as they attempt to unravel the mystery of giant Ice Age beasts like the sabretooth cat.

A three-month long study to determine the puffin population on the Farne Islands in Northumberland gets under way.

Roboticist Will Jackson of Engineered Arts gives a tour of his robot factory in Cornwall, and talks about recent developments in the industry.

An Asian insect is destroying native species around the world by unleashing a lethal biological cocktail.

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield says he could not resist sharing his life in space on social media, in his first public appearance since landing.