Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion.The match was largely controlled by Arsenal but tested their resilience late on. Martin Ødegaard opened the scoring before half-time with a precise finish after sustained pressure.It was his first goal of a season disrupted by injury. Arsenal doubled their lead early in the second half when Georginio Rutter turned a corner into his own net.Despite dominance, the hosts failed to kill the game. Brighton pulled one back through Diego Gómez after a rare spell of attacking threat.Moments later, David Raya produced…
Author: Andrew Rogers
Christmas is a perfect time to explore science without lab coats or equipment.Researchers say simple festive moments can spark curiosity and discovery. Matthew Cobb from the University of Manchester suggests a flavour test using sweets.Holding your nose while eating shows taste depends heavily on smell. Laughter offers another experiment.Sophie Scott of University College London says jokes are funnier in company because laughter is social. The Christmas turkey can also become a lesson in biology.Steve Brusatte from the University of Edinburgh recommends examining bones to understand movement and flight. Custard chemistry explains winter road salt.Andrea Sella of University College London shows…
Declan Rice was released by Chelsea at 14 and faced doubts about his potential.Coaches at West Ham United questioned whether he deserved a scholarship. Rice responded to blunt criticism with determination rather than resentment.Academy staff say he always sought honest feedback and worked relentlessly to improve. His early running style looked awkward and unpolished.Over time, his intelligence and discipline transformed his game. Rice made his senior debut under Slaven Bilic and developed into West Ham captain.He later joined Arsenal for £105m amid scepticism. Under Mikel Arteta, Rice evolved from a defensive anchor into a dynamic midfielder.Set-piece duties and increased goals…
Scientists say parts of the Moon may become designated graveyards for defunct spacecraft.The number of lunar satellites is expected to increase sharply in the coming decades. Unlike Earth, the Moon has no atmosphere to burn up old satellites.Most will eventually need to be crash-landed on the surface. Uncontrolled impacts could damage scientific instruments and historic landing sites.High-speed collisions also create dust clouds and surface vibrations. Experts support using designated impact zones or deep craters.The aim is to protect culturally and scientifically important areas.
Plans to stage a Serie A match in Australia have been abandoned after late complications.The fixture between AC Milan and Como was due to be played in Perth on 8 February. It would have been the first major European domestic league game held outside its home country.However, financial risks and conditions imposed by the Asian Football Confederation proved decisive. Serie A president Ezio Simonelli said “unacceptable requests” made the match impossible to stage.Those demands involved match officials and responsibilities placed on Australian authorities. The game had been moved because San Siro is unavailable during the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics.Serie A also…
Aston Villa stayed firmly in the title race with a 2-1 win over Manchester United at Villa Park.Morgan Rogers scored twice, producing another decisive display under Unai Emery. Villa moved third in the table, three points behind leaders Arsenal.The victory was their seventh straight league win and tenth in all competitions. Rogers opened the scoring before half-time with a curling finish into the far corner.United responded through Matheus Cunha, who equalised in stoppage time. Villa regained control early in the second half as Rogers struck again from inside the box.The goal sparked wild celebrations and underlined Villa’s attacking confidence. United…
Kylian Mbappé equalled Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid scoring record in a 2-0 home win over Sevilla.The French forward scored a late penalty to reach 59 goals in 2025 on his 27th birthday.Jude Bellingham’s header gave Real the lead before Sevilla were reduced to ten men.Strong saves from Thibaut Courtois secured the victory as Real closed within one point of Barcelona. In Serie A, Juventus revived their title hopes with a 2-1 win over Roma in Turin.Francisco Conceicao and Loïs Openda scored as Roma missed a chance to gain ground.Juventus sit one point behind Roma, with AC Milan and Napoli above…
In the mountains of the southern Peloponnese, Greece’s normally resilient fir forests are dying in large numbers – even in areas untouched by fire. Researchers say a dangerous combination of climate pressures is driving an unprecedented ecological crisis. When forest scientist Dimitrios Avtzis surveyed a recent wildfire area, he found vast swathes of dead and dying firs well beyond the burn zone. “The scale of the damage was profound,” he said, prompting an urgent warning to the environment ministry. Wildfires have long shaped Mediterranean forests, but experts say conditions have shifted dramatically in recent years. Severe, prolonged drought and a…
About one in 10 people in the UK aged 70 and over may have brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease, according to the largest population-based study of its kind. The research, published in Nature, used a blood biomarker test on nearly 11,500 people and suggests more than 1 million over-70s could meet current NHS criteria for anti-amyloid treatment, far more than previous estimates. The findings do not mean those affected have dementia, but they could allow much earlier detection. Researchers say the results could transform diagnosis, although experts warn the NHS could not currently afford to treat everyone eligible with…
The carnivorous pitcher plant Nepenthes khasiana has been found to drug its prey with a toxic nerve agent hidden in its sweet nectar. The plant secretes the enticing liquid along the rim of its pitcher traps to attract insects, especially ants, but the nectar contains isoshinanolone, which disrupts their nervous system, causing sluggish movement, muscle weakness and disorientation. Combined with sugars that make the rim extremely slippery, the toxin increases the chances that prey will fall into the pitcher, where they are digested. The strategy allows the plant to obtain vital nutrients in the nutrient-poor soils where it grows.