The likely impacts of climate change on wildlife reserves in the US has been examined by researchers at the University of Washington.

A paper published in Current Biology examines the extinction of a colourful little bird which, until recently, thrived in the eastern US. With the appalling environmental catastrophe enveloping Australia, home to 56 of the world’s 370 parrot species, this account of the Carolina parakeet’s demise is timely.

Sam Bennett will make his debut in the Vuelta a Espana today when the three-week race rolls down the start ramp in the seaside city of Torrevieja, south of Alicante.

A warm-weather warning will come into effect for parts of the country later today.

The chance to play golf at the renowned El Prat while staying at the spectacular La Florida hotel in Barcelona is hard to beat, writes Ronan Bagnall.

One hopes the TV lip-reader was right: “When you’ve won the Premier League, let me know.” That, allegedly, is what Ashley Young said to Spurs’ Alli during a set-to on Saturday. In the “show-us-yer-medals” culture that is English football, there is no effective rejoinder to that. 

The moorhens and coots, of lakes and ponds, are easy to tell apart. Waterhens have bright red bills with yellow tips, and some white on their tail feathers, writes Richard Collins. 

ON JUNE 20, 1631, ‘Barbary’ pirates raided Baltimore, taking 107 men, women, and children into slavery. It was the largest such raid on an Irish or British settlement since Viking times, writes Richard Collins

Looking for a Spanish getaway without falling into the usual tourists traps? Valencia and its surrounding regions might be the perfect holiday for you, writes Dean Van Nguyen.

Irish sunseekers have abandoned Egypt, Tunisia, and Turkey as tourist destinations and are instead opting for Spain and Portugal due to terrorism fears.

Seat has revealed details of the company’s first SUV model — the Ateca.

With Barcelona and the Catalans on the precipice of achieving independence,

In an affluent city of Northern Europe, the beautiful people bask in the sun beside rivers and lakes.

Nick Hornby said it best in Fever Pitch when he suggested that the natural state of the football fan is one of bitter disappointment, no matter what the score. Sitting in the Estadio Riazor last Sunday evening as more than 33,000 Deportivo La Coruña supporters shuffled out glumly onto the sun-speckled streets on the back of a 2-0 win over Levante spoke painfully for that.

Spain and Portugal are seeing record high temperatures for May, with thermometers hitting levels normally only seen in midsummer.

SCARCELY a week passes without news of yet another invasive species, plant or animal, reaching our shores.

The travel chaos caused by the French air traffic controllers strike is set worsen further today, with Ryanair predicting it will have to cancel the flights of thousands more of its Irish passengers.

THE howling of wolves has been heard in Denmark. The species became extinct there in 1813 but, two centuries later, footprints have been found in Jutland. According to the Timber Wolf Information Network, at least four individuals visited the country recently.

IT’S the time of year when the rhododendron blooms, standing out from most other plants in all its deep red, purple and cerise splendour. The rhodo looks magnificent and little wonder that it get a mention in romantic songs. However, the wild rhodo is in a category of plants with a bad name: “invasive species’’ that were brought into the country.

Donegal footballer Paddy McBrearty has warned that the ongoing standoff between club and county cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely.

This is award season in the wine trade as much as in the movie business.

Noel Baker recalls a tranquil few days in Sagres on the southernmost tip of Portugal, with a spin in a Porsche thrown in for good measure.

DISCLAIMER: Anything hereunder that resembles or may be interpreted as criticism, implied or otherwise, of the Algarve and its constituent parts — food, beaches, tranquility, water parks, golf courses — is entirely coincidental.

Tensions over Gibraltar escalated yesterday when the British territory’s chief minister accused Spain of “sabre-rattling” and behaving like North Korea after Madrid floated the idea of a new border crossing fee and airspace controls.

A small scuffle in Ballyfermot, thousands of farmers at the Dáil, and five thousand marching for the Quinns in Cavan, but where is the national protest, asks Michael Clifford

Sporting Lisbon 2 Athletic Bilbao 1

Irish children are in inflationary mood, with billionaire status now on their wishlists.

IF imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then the Cork footballers didn’t seem to win that many admirers.

London’s FTSE 100 Index continued its recovery today despite a weak start on Wall Street after results from Caterpillar disappointed.

The London market fell 1.5% today as banking shares took a hammering amid fresh fears about the eurozone debt crisis.

Debt worries dominated trading on both sides of the Atlantic today amid fears over America’s failure to set a new ceiling for its borrowings.

Shares in Britain’s banks fell by as much as 5% today amid increasing fears that the eurozone debt crisis could spread to Italy or even Spain.

IT WAS most unfair that a Kerry snail was being blamed for holding up a major road into the county from Cork, a council meeting in Tralee has heard.

IT’LL always pay you to be aware of what’s going on at Karwig’s. The importer, distributor and wine shop has won many awards and is widely acknowledged as one of the best places to buy good wine — in the shop between Crosshaven and Carrigaline, Co Cork, or online at www.karwigwines.ie.

Early losses on Wall Street kept London’s FTSE 100 Index in the red today amid investor caution over a Chinese rate hike and fresh European economic woes.

The FTSE 100 Index marched further towards the 6000 mark as stocks shook off disappointing economic news in the UK and US.

Spain and Portugal boast “ideal” venues for the World Cup and have a strong chance of being elected as tournament host, according to the head of FIFA’s inspection team.

RYANAIR has announced that it has taken on Edelman as its external public relations/media communications adviser, after what it called “a very competitive tender process”.

Luxury accommodation at Praia d’El Rey where the beach is right outside your balcony.

European air safety watchdogs are proposing new rules that would reduce airspace closures due to volcanic ash.

IRELAND’S two largest airlines have been accused of conducting a “cynical, politically motivated” attack on ash cloud safety measures, after claiming protection plans were “inaccurate” and needlessly closing airports.

All Irish airports will remain open until at least midnight tomorrow, the Irish Aviation Authority has confirmed.

All Irish airports will remain open until at least 1pm tomorrow, the Irish Aviation Authority has announced.

All Irish airports will remain open until at least 1am tomorrow, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) said.

AN advanced system for forecasting volcanic ash in Irish airspace has been developed by researchers at NUI Galway.

The Government's Taskforce on Emergency Planning is forecasting minimal disruption at Irish airports this week as a result of the ash cloud.

In the latest update from the Irish Aviation Authority, Irish airports are to remain open until at least 1am tomorrow morning, following on from some disruption yesterday.

The state’s main airports will remain open today but some along the west coast will be restricted from mid-afternoon due to the volcanic ash cloud.

Most Irish airports are set to operate normally until 4pm tomorrow, aviation authorities said this evening, however warning that there is an “increased risk” of disruption from the volcanic ash cloud.