Ocean acidification can cause the mass extinction of marine life, fossil evidence from 66m years ago has revealed. A key impact of today’s climate crisis is that seas are again getting more acidic, as they absorb carbon emissions from the burning of coal, oil and gas. Scientists said the latest research is a warning that humanity is risking potential “ecological collapse” in the oceans, which produce half the oxygen we breathe.

The researchers analysed small seashells in sediment laid down shortly after a giant meteorite hit the Earth, wiping out the dinosaurs and three-quarters of marine species. Chemical analysis of the shells showed a sharp drop in the pH of the ocean in the century to the millennium after the strike.

This spike demonstrated it was the meteorite impact that made the ocean more acidic, effectively dissolving the chalky shells of many species. Large-scale volcanic activity was also considered a possible culprit, but this occurred over a much longer period. The oceans acidified because the meteorite impact vaporised rocks containing sulphates and carbonates, causing sulphuric acid and carbonic acid to rain down. The mass die-off of plants on land after the strike also increased CO₂ in the atmosphere.

“We show ocean acidification can precipitate ecological collapse,” said Michael Henehan at the GFZ German research centre for geosciences in Potsdam, who led the study. “Before we had the idea, but we did not have the empirical proof.” The researchers found that the pH dropped by 0.25 pH units in the 100-1,000 years after the strike. It is possible that there was an even bigger drop in pH in the decade or two after the strike and the scientists are examining other sediments in even finer detail.(The Guardian)…[+]

Deep sea explorers have found two Japanese aircraft carriers that were sunk in battle in World War Two. The carriers were among seven ships that went down in the Battle of Midway, a major air and sea battle fought between the US and Japan in 1942.

One ship, the Kaga, was discovered last week, while wreckage from another carrier, Akagi, was found on Sunday. Until now only one other ship sunk in this battle had ever been found – the American vessel USS Yorktown, in 1998. This month’s discoveries came after weeks of searching by crew members based on the research vessel Petrel. The vessel is owned by Vulcan Inc, a company created by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

The Petrel also worked with the US Navy, as according to US law it is otherwise illegal to disturb underwater war graves – that is, sites where the wrecks of US military ships lie. Both ships were found lying about 18,000 feet (5,490 metres) under water within the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument – the largest marine conservation area in the world.(BBC)…[+]

The Duke of Cambridge is “worried” about his brother after he talked about his mental health in a TV documentary, a Kensington Palace source has told the BBC.

Prince William is said to be hoping the Duke and Duchess of Sussex “are all right” after they told an ITV documentary they were struggling. The palace source said there was a view the couple were “in a fragile place”. Kensington Palace had no comment on the ITV film, which aired on Sunday. The documentary followed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their tour of southern Africa earlier this month.

In interviews, the couple both said they were struggling with the intense scrutiny from elements of the British tabloid press.  The palace source played down suggestions that Prince William was “furious” with his brother after the documentary aired on Sunday. It followed Prince Harry’s admission in the film that he and William have “good days” and “bad days”. Asked about media reports of a rift between the brothers, the Duke of Sussex said that “inevitably, stuff happens” as a result of “this family being under the pressure that it’s under”.(BBC)…[+]

The president of the Bulgaria Football Union, Borislav Mihaylov, has resigned.  Bulgaria Prime Minister Boyko Borissov called for him to quit on Tuesday after the racist abuse of England players in the Euro 2020 qualifier in Sofia.

Monday’s match, which England won 6-0, was stopped twice because of racist behaviour by home fans, which included Nazi salutes and monkey chants. The BFU said the move “is a consequence of the recent tensions” but did not mention racism in their statement.  The statement said the tensions had created “an environment that is detrimental to Bulgarian football and the Bulgarian Football Union”.

It added that “Mihaylov expresses his firm readiness to continue helping in the development of Bulgarian football in every possible way”. Earlier on Tuesday, the Bulgaria prime minister “strongly condemned” the fans’ behaviour and called for Mihaylov to resign “immediately”. “After yesterday’s shameful loss of the Bulgarian National Team and given the bad results of our football, I ordered to end any relationship with BFU, including financial, until the withdrawal of Borislav Mihaylov from the post,” he added.(BBC)…[+]

Extinction Rebellion activists are continuing protests despite a London-wide ban by police. The group says it has taken initial steps towards a judicial review of the ban. Lawyers and politicians have also criticised the move.

Meanwhile climate change protesters targeted the Department for Transport and MI5 on Tuesday morning. A government spokeswoman said protests “should not disrupt people’s day-to-day lives”. Extinction Rebellion’s co-founder, Gail Bradbrook, was arrested after climbing on to the entrance of the Department for Transport on Tuesday morning. Police also cleared further protesters from outside the building.

Activists have also been arrested on Millbank outside MI5’s headquarters, where a small group had gathered. Two men briefly sat in the middle of the road before being moved by officers.  On Monday evening, the Metropolitan Police began clearing protesters from Trafalgar Square following the announcement of a ban on the protests. Under Section 14 of the Public Order Act, the force had imposed conditions requiring activists to stop their protests in central London by 21:00 BST on 14 October or risk arrest. The Metropolitan Police said that the ban was imposed after “continued breaches” of a condition limiting the demonstration to Trafalgar Square.(BBC)…[+]

Migrant labourers working outdoors in Qatar face “high” or “extreme” risk of heat stress for more than half the working day during the four hottest months of the year, according to a UN report. The findings come just weeks after the Guardian revealed that hundreds of workers may be dying due to exposure to Qatar’s intense summer heat.

Last week Human Rights Watch called on Qatar to “urgently investigate and publicise the underlying causes of migrant worker deaths”. The UN report, which was jointly commissioned by the Qatari authorities and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), is based on data from monitoring 125 workers at two sites: a World Cup stadium and a farm.

The research found that a third of workers in the study experienced hyperthermia at some time during their shift; a serious health hazard where the body’s core temperature rises above 38C (100F). Nicholas McGeehan, a director of Fair/Square Projects, an organisation that conducts research on Gulf migrant workers, said the report was “a damning indictment of Qatar’s failure to protect outdoor workers”.

McGeehan said that despite the report’s conclusions the ILO had played down the findings and had failed to demand urgent reforms from the Qatari authorities.(The Guardian)…[+]

The first interstellar comet to be tracked by astronomers as it hurtles through the solar system is unremarkable in every way apart from where it comes from, researchers have said. Scientists reached the conclusion after observing 2I/Borisov with two of the most powerful telescopes on Earth. They decided that it looked like any other comet except that it came from beyond the solar system and would soon leave for good.

The unusual body was spotted in August by a Crimean amateur astronomer, Gennady Borisov. It was swiftly identified as an outcast from another star system and may have been wandering the Milky Way for millions if not billions of years.

“This is the first comet known to science that arrived from outside the solar system, and it is completely similar to those we see inside the solar system,” said Michal Drahus, an astronomer at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland.

The team, led by Piotr Guzik, gathered images of the comet after receiving an alert from a computer system that detects cosmic interlopers. Unlike comets and asteroids that formed in the solar system, the arrivals are on trajectories that do not swing around the sun. (The Guardian)…[+]

Residents in Forth Worth, Texas, have held a protest outside the home of a black woman who was shot dead by police through her bedroom window. A vigil became a demonstration as residents demanded justice for Atatiana Jefferson, 28, who was killed by a white officer.

A neighbour had called a non-emergency police number after growing concerned that her front door was open at night. Body cam footage shows an officer shooting within seconds of seeing her. In a statement, the Fort Worth Police Department said that the officer had “perceived a threat” when he drew his weapon. He has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. Participants in Sunday’s protest marched in front of Jefferson’s house, holding candles and chanting: “No justice, no peace.” Many called for the officer to be fired and criminally prosecuted.

“State sanctioned violence has always been a culture for black people,” said protester Michelle Andersen, at Sunday’s gathering. “It’s not about a training issue.”

Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price was present at the vigil, but left after she was approached by protesters shouting “lock him up”, in reference to the unidentified officer, CBS News reported.(BBC)…[+]

Five persons were arrested during an intelligence-led operation in several East Coast Demerara (ECD) villages that unearthed an unlicensed gun and a quantity of drugs yesterday. Between 6 am and 8 am yesterday, ranks from the Region Four, ECD police division conducted several cordon and search operations at Vryheid’s Lust, Montrose, Nabaclis and Plaisance, ECD, police said.

During the operations, the ranks unearthed an unlicensed pistol with a live matching round, 300 grammes of suspected cocaine and 45 grammes of suspected cannabis. As a result, two females and three males have been detained and are currently assisting with investigations, the police said.(stabroeknews)…[+]

At least one person is dead in a fast-moving wildfire razing 4,700 acres north of Los Angeles, California, forcing thousands of others to flee. The Saddleridge fire has led to a mandatory evacuation for 25,000 homes, some of which have been destroyed.

A lorry with burning rubbish sparked another fire on Thursday east of LA. The state’s largest utility this week pulled the plug on at least 700,000 customers to prevent wildfires sparked by windblown power lines. The victim, a man in his late 50s, died overnight from cardiac arrest connected to the blaze, Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas told local media. The Saddleridge fire was fuelled by gusty winds, warm temperatures and low humidity.(BBC)…[+]