BBC News

Jo Johnson, the brother of London Mayor Boris Johnson, is to be the new Minister for Universities and Science.

The fascinating bright spots on the surface of the dwarf planet Ceres are shown to be a clutch of many smaller dots in new, higher resolution images.

Green groups and low-carbon firms have welcomed the appointment of Amber Rudd as new head of the energy and climate department, DECC.

David Cameron is appointing his new cabinet with Amber Rudd, John Whittingdale and Sajid Javid among those promoted - but there's no job for Boris Johnson.

Why did Ancient Egyptians mummify animals in their millions?

A scanning project suggests that about a third of Ancient Egypt's animal mummies are empty.

Already legally defined as Australia's "National Gemstone", the country's precious opals are punting for a new international designation - that of Global Heritage Stone Resource.

The height of a swathe of the Himalayas has dropped by around one metre as a result of the devastating Nepal earthquake, scientists say.

A forensic laboratory opens in Kenya that will build up a DNA database of wild animals to help secure successful prosecutions of poachers

The Russian space agency says its out-of-control Progress spacecraft has burnt up after re-entering the Earth's atmosphere.

Oscar Holderer, a member of the post-WW2 German team whose rocket took US astronauts to the Moon, dies at 95.

Our own choices stop us from reading ideologically challenging content more than Facebook's algorithms, according to a study by Facebook researchers.

Underwater explorers in Madagascar say they have found what is thought to be the treasure of notorious Scottish pirate Captain William Kidd.

Ant behaviour may hold the key to developing for more effective techniques for search and rescue.

Global carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations have reached a new monthly record of 400 parts per million, according to scientists.

Who said building a 1,000mph car would be easy?

The polls may close tonight in Britain's general election but there is another big vote happening to find out Britain's favourite bird.

An architect in Thailand has come up with a new type of house to combat floods - one that rises with the water levels.

Researchers reveal the secret of the success of invasive fire ants - they can excavate any type of soil.

As the WWF releases a report on the economic value of the world's oceans, BBC News looks at their findings, and the value of auditing nature.

A newly discovered microbe could help solve one of the most controversial puzzles in modern biology.

A Russian spacecraft that has been out of control since launching last week will fall back to Earth and burn up on Friday, scientists say.

Rupert Wingfield-Hayes visits a vast solar farm in Kagoshima to see how Japan is trying to move on from nuclear power.

British astronaut Tim Peake passes his final Soyuz exam, as he prepares for November's mission to the space station.

Forests can play a vital role in supplementing global food and nutrition security, as well as providing sources of income, suggest leading scientists.

SpaceX puts its Dragon astronaut capsule through a practice abort - a demonstration of how the ship would cope with a pad emergency.

The vote of those living in the countryside is crucial in this election, but what issues are important to them?

Violent storms sweep northern Germany, triggering a tornado that hit a small town and leaving one person dead in Hamburg.

The evolution of thousands of pop songs spanning from 1960 to 2010 is analysed by scientists.

Scientists in China report a new fossil species: the oldest member yet of the evolutionary branch that produced modern birds.

Australian scientists discover that mysterious signals hitting a renowned space telescope are actually from microwaves.

Scientists find 200 year lag time between past climate events at poles, according to a new study in Nature.

For the first time since 2013, the Large Hadron Collider smashes protons together - albeit at fairly low energies for now.

Scientists discover one of the secrets of how the world’s biggest whales engulf their own weight in water and food: the nerves in their big jaws are incredibly stretchy.

Expedition that paved way for understanding the Arctic

David Shukman takes a look around the bridge, sleeping quarters and laboratories for a taste of life on board the Norwegian Arctic research vessel Lance.

The surgeon who cut out his own appendix

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station celebrate Star Wars Day with a movie pick that may surprise some fans.

Changes in the Arctic Ocean are so profound that the region is entering what amounts to "a new era", according to Norwegian scientists.

Monitoring how ice cover is changing in the far north

David Shukman reports from a research vessel deliberately wedged into the arctic ice pack.

Detectives from the West Midlands are using 3D technology to provide juries with microscopic evidence, previously beyond the reach of forensic testing.

About 60% of the world's largest herbivores are at risk of extinction, according to research by an international team.

Why is it that two apparently similar earthquakes can have such different outcomes in terms of the number of people killed and the damage that results?

Environment Analyst, Roger Harrabin has been looking at how the parties say they plan to tackle environmental issues in the countryside.

The Calbuco volcano in southern Chile erupts for the third time in eight days, sending a large plume of dark grey smoke and ash into the air.

Scientists have made progress towards correcting the errors that are expected to arise in quantum computing.

US electric carmaker Tesla Motors unveils batteries that can power homes and businesses in a bid to expand beyond its vehicle business.

Areas of airspace where human use is restricted could help to protect billions of animals, scientists say.