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Good morning. Amid the constant drumbeat of bleak news about the planet\u2019s environment and the accelerating climate emergency, the occasional bright spot still emerges. One example came last week, when researchers published the first statistical evidence that polar bears are changing their DNA in response to a warming Arctic.<\/p>\n
But is it really good news that human activity \u2013 the burning of fossil fuels and the destruction of habitats \u2013 is forcing animals to alter their genetic makeup? The picture, as ever, is complicated.<\/p>\n
For today\u2019s newsletter, I spoke to the Guardian\u2019s environment reporter Helena Horton<\/strong><\/em> about what the polar bear study tells us and whether almost a decade spent reporting on biodiversity loss and the climate crisis has left her feeling more or less optimistic about the planet\u2019s future. Here are the headlines.<\/p>\n Donald Trump<\/strong><\/em> | Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against the BBC over its editing of a speech he made to supporters in Washington before they stormed the US Capitol in 2021, requesting at least $5bn in damages.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Australia <\/strong><\/em>| Australia\u2019s national security agency Asio investigated one of the alleged Bondi shooters in 2019 over potential extremist links but decided he was not \u201ca person of interest\u201d, prime minister Anthony Albanese has revealed, despite two of the man\u2019s associates being jailed.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n International trade<\/strong><\/em> | The US has paused its promised multi-billion-pound investment into British tech over trade disagreements, marking a serious setback in US-UK relations.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Health<\/strong><\/em> <\/strong>| Resident doctors in England will go on strike as planned this Wednesday for five days, after they voted to reject the government\u2019s latest offer to end the long running pay and jobs dispute.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Ukraine <\/strong><\/em>| Europe is ready to lead a \u201cmultinational force\u201d in Ukraine as part of a US proposal for a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, European leaders have said.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n <\/span>A polar bear in an abandoned Soviet-era research station on Kolyuchin Island in the Chukchi Sea, in September 2025.<\/span> Photograph: Vadim Makhorov\/Reuters<\/p>\n For decades, polar bears have been among the most recognisable victims of climate change. Long before charts, models and emission targets entered the public conversation, images of stranded bears offered a stark visual shorthand for what a heating planet looks like.<\/p>\n That is what makes new research suggesting polar bears may be changing their DNA to adapt to warmer climates so striking \u2013 and potentially unsettling. \u201cIt is a small piece of hopeful news,\u201d Helena Horton says, \u201cthat animals are adapting. But this shouldn\u2019t be happening. DNA only changes so rapidly under extreme environmental stress.\u201d<\/p>\n Has reporting on the climate crisis made you more or less optimistic about the future?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a mix,\u201d Helena tells me. \u201cThere are moments of good news,\u201d she says, citing countries working together to reduce emissions, major leaps in renewable technology, and electric cars becoming more popular than expected. But there is a caveat. \u201cYou have people elected who might roll back on a lot of those commitments,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd we see coal use spiking a lot more than we thought it would.\u201d<\/p>\n Over the years, Helena has closely watched biodiversity indicators in the UK, and she says they provide a mixed picture. For every story like a mystery wild beaver turning up in Norfolk, the first sighting of one there for 500 years, or red squirrels thriving again in the Highlands after a decade of a reintroduction programme, there are many more that are less hopeful.<\/p>\n \u201cThe indicators came out again last week, \u2013 species continue to decline,\u201d she says. \u201cThe stats on wild birds in particular are very distressing, and if they keep declining in this way, we\u2019re going to see extinctions in the UK.\u201d<\/p>\n What made this polar bear DNA story stand out?<\/strong><\/p>\n Scientific studies are published all the time, but some are more meaningful than others. Part of the work of science reporters is deciding which make the publishing cut. \u201cWhat made this one stand out was that it\u2019s the first time a statistically significant link has been found between rising temperatures and DNA changes in a wild mammal,\u201d Helena says. \u201cThat\u2019s genuinely new.\u201d<\/p>\n That polar bears are the focus of the research is notable. They have become one of the most powerful symbols of the climate crisis, because they were among the first animals whose habitats were visibly and dramatically destroyed. \u201cThe Arctic, where they live, is warming at a higher rate than the rest of the planet. It\u2019s also a habitat that\u2019s more susceptible to visible warming, because it melts. We\u2019ve all seen those horrible images of polar bears stranded on shrinking ice.\u201d<\/p>\n Photographs of polar bears in snow-free environments feel inherently powerful in conveying just how fast their habitat is changing, as the bears filmed living in an abandoned Soviet research station on Kolyuchin Island in the Chukchi Sea (pictured above) demonstrate.<\/p>\n How is the climate crisis <\/strong>changing animals<\/strong>?<\/strong><\/p>\n Helena says we are already seeing animals move locations, change their behaviour, and even change their bodies. More octopuses in Britain\u2019s seas, tiger moths in Jersey, birds developing larger beaks in Australia or bats developing bigger ears to allow more efficient heat exchange are all examples she lists.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we\u2019re making animals move around the planet, we\u2019re forcing them to change their physiology \u2013 and now, as this research shows, we\u2019re even pushing them to change their DNA,\u201d Helena says.<\/p>\n Habitat destruction is also a factor in changing animal behaviours, and bringing them into more conflict with humans.<\/p>\n \u201cYou see this with elephants in Africa and with the great apes,\u201d Helena says, reminding me that last week the Guardian carried a depressing report on the plight of the rare Tapanuli orangutans. Their Indonesian habitat is under threat from an expansion of gold mining, and the population has suffered a dramatic loss due to recent flooding which was exacerbated by the climate crisis.<\/p>\n How do you balance hope and honesty in climate reporting?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI try to let the scientists speak for themselves,\u201d Helena says.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the polar bears, the lead researcher was very measured. She said it offers some hope, but it\u2019s not a magic bullet \u2013 and we still need to stop burning fossil fuels. This isn\u2019t something that should be happening. It\u2019s happening because we\u2019re putting enormous pressure on ecosystems.\u201d<\/p>\n The real question, Helena explains, is whether animals can adapt fast enough to keep up with how quickly humans are changing the planet. At the moment, she says, that seems very unlikely.<\/p>\n <\/span>Salvador Dal\u00ed at Coco Chanel\u2019s La Pausa in the 1930s.<\/span> Photograph: Wolfgang Vennemann\/ Fundaci\u00f3 Gala\u2013Salvador Dal\u00ed\/ADAGP, Paris<\/p>\n The Mediterranean villa once owned by Gabriele \u201cCoco\u201d Chanel was once frequented by artists from Salvador Dal\u00ed to Igor Stravinsky. Kate Hessel unlocks the secrets of Chanel\u2019s newly refurbished house<\/strong>, back in the hands of the fashion label. Karen<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n After the killing of Rob Reiner<\/strong> alongside his wife, Michele, Ryan Gilbey remembers the director\u2019s eight-year \u201cgolden run\u201d \u2013 from This Is Sp\u0131n\u0308al Tap to A Few Good Men via Stand By Me, The Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally. He was in that stretch, Ryan writes, \u201ca film-maker who beat the algorithm in the days before there was even one to beat\u201d. Charlie Lindlar, newsletters team<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Andrew Pulver has an enthusiastic assessment of Marty Supreme<\/strong>, the screwball tale of a ping pong champion played by Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet, which is No 5 on the Guardian film critics best movies of 2025. Follow the countdown to No 1 here. Karen<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Sunday evening saw Philip Rivers<\/strong>, a 44-year-old with 10 kids and one grandchild, unretire and strap on his helmet to play quarterback for the injury-stricken Indianapolis Colts. What compelled Rivers to return to the game after 1,800 days away, in one of the NFL\u2019s all-time comebacks? Doug Farrar explores that in this wonderful piece. Charlie<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Is it superflu<\/strong>? Do vaccines offer protection against the new strain? Is it too late to get jabbed before the festivities? Prof Devi Sridhar, chair of public health at the University of Edinburgh, answers these questions and more. Karen<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/span>The England captain Ben Stokes bowls during a net session at Adelaide Oval, the venue for Wednesday\u2019s third Ashes Test.<\/span> Photograph: Gareth Copley\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Cricket<\/strong><\/em> | Ben Stokes (pictured above) has called on England to \u201cshow some dog\u201d as they had against India in the summer, to keep their slim Ashes hopes alive.<\/p>\n Football<\/strong><\/em> <\/strong>| England\u2019s Lionesses are up against their rugby union counterparts, the Red Roses and Europe\u2019s winning Ryder cup side in being shortlisted for team of the year in what will be a public vote, with the winners announced at a ceremony live on the 18 December as part of the BBC Sport Personality of the Year award.<\/p>\n Premier League<\/strong><\/em> | Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim conceded that repeated lapses in concentration are undermining his team\u2019s progress, after a chaotic 4-4 draw with Bournemouth. Matheus Cunha scored in the 79th minute for a 4-3 lead. But 19-year-old Bournemouth substitute Eli Junior Kroupi equalised in the 84th minute.<\/p>\n <\/span> Photograph: Guardian front page<\/p>\n The Guardian<\/strong> leads with \u201cTears, flowers and silence: Sydney unites in grief after Bondi horror\u201d. The Sun<\/strong> reports on one of the victims of the attack, with \u201cMinutes later, Matilda was dead\u201d. The i<\/strong> headlines \u201cMI6 chief: globe\u2019s tech giants are seizing power from politicians\u201d. The Financial Times<\/strong> reports \u201cMortgage rules poised for easing in bid to widen access and boost growth\u201d.<\/p>\n The Telegraph<\/strong> leads with \u201cTrump kicks off BBC court battle\u201d. The Times<\/strong> has \u201cDoctors strike despite flu fears\u201d. The Mail<\/strong> says \u201cDrivers wrongly fined in speed camera scandal\u201d.<\/p>\n <\/span> Photograph: Duncan Elliott\/The Guardian<\/p>\n What happened when Reform took power<\/strong><\/p>\n When Reform took over 10 local councils in England this summer, it offered the first glimpse of how the party might govern if it were to get into No 10. Helen Pidd<\/strong> reports.<\/p>\n <\/span> Illustration: Ben Jennings\/The Guardian<\/p>\n A bit of good news to remind you that the world\u2019s not all bad<\/em><\/p>\n <\/span>\u2018He was a handful and required constant care.\u2019 Elio, right, and Yannis Baladi at the Chimpanzee Conservation Centre in Guinea.<\/span> Photograph: Roberto Garcia Roa<\/p>\n When he was 26, Yannis Baladi quit his job selling expensive flats in Paris and took up looking after chimpanzees at a conservation centre in the jungle of Guinea, west Africa, a five-hour drive from the nearest town. He loved it so much that his three-month stay turned into 11. Baladi was fascinated by their behaviour, including the way the chimpanzees processed anger. After fighting really hard, hitting each other and stealing each other\u2019s food, they always made peace with each other five minutes later, he said. \u201cI learned from these primates there was no point being angry or living in the past,\u201d he recounts in this story from the Guardian\u2019s Age of extinction series.<\/p>\n A baby sooty mangabey called Elio \u2013 who was possibly abandoned by poachers and whose species is endangered \u2013 taught him the most. They would spend whole days together, Baladi reading books or playing sudoku, and Elio jumping from tree to tree. By the time he left the Chimpanzee Conservation Center, both had matured.<\/p>\n \u201cI learned I could be patient. He taught me that I\u2019m ready to be a dad \u2013 and this meant a lot to me because I always had a difficult relationship with my own father.\u201d Most poignantly, Baladi learned to say goodbye to the tiny monkey he considered \u201cmy first son\u201d.<\/p>\n Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday<\/strong><\/p>\n And finally, the Guardian\u2019s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Good morning. Amid the constant drumbeat of bleak news about the planet\u2019s environment and the accelerating climate emergency, the occasional bright spot still emerges. One example came last week, when researchers published the first statistical evidence that polar bears are changing their DNA in response to a warming Arctic. But is it really good news<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37647,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[240,4528,1043,734,12315,272,6538,2560,2616],"class_list":{"0":"post-37646","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-science","8":"tag-arctic","9":"tag-bear","10":"tag-briefing","11":"tag-dna","12":"tag-polar","13":"tag-tells","14":"tag-tuesday","15":"tag-warming","16":"tag-wildlife"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37646","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=37646"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37646\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/37647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=37646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=37646"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=37646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Five big stories<\/h2>\n
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In depth: What counts as good news in a climate emergency?<\/h2>\n
What else we\u2019ve been reading<\/h2>\n
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Sport<\/h2>\n
The front pages<\/h2>\n
Today in Focus<\/h2>\n
Cartoon of the day | Ben Jennings<\/h2>\n
The Upside<\/h2>\n
Bored at work?<\/h2>\n