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Daniel Moore, 36, was last seen in Woodlands Way, Chelmsford at 3pm today.

"Billions fewer birds are flying through North American skies than decades ago," reports the Associated Press, "and their population is shrinking ever faster, mostly due to a combination of intensive agriculture and warming temperatures, a new study found." Nearly half of the 261 species studied showed big enough losses in numbers to be statistically significant and more than half of those declining are seeing their losses accelerate since 1987, according to Thursday's journal Science... The only consolation is that the birds that are shrinking in numbers the fastest are species — such as the European starling, American crow, grackle and house sparrow — with large enough populations that they aren't yet at risk of going extinct, said study lead author Francois Leroy, also an Ohio State ecologist... When it came to population declines — not the acceleration — the scientists noticed bigger losses further south. When they did a deeper analysis they statistically connected those losses to warmer temperatures from human-caused climate change. "In regions where temperatures increase the most, we are seeing strongest declines in populations," [said study co-author Marta Jarzyna, an ecologist at Ohio State University]. "On the other hand, the acceleration of those declines, that's mostly driven by agricultural practices." The scientists found statistical correlations between speeded-up decline rates and high fertilizer use, high pesticide use and amount of cropland, Leroy said. He said they couldn't say any of those caused the acceleration of losses, but it indicates agriculture in general is a factor. "The stronger the agriculture, the faster we will lose birds," said Leroy... McGill University wildlife biologist David Bird, who wasn't part of the study, said it was done well and that its conclusions made sense. With a growing human population, agriculture practices are intensified, more bird habitats are being converted to cropland, modern machinery often grind up nests and eggs and single crop plantings offer less possibilities for birds to find food and nests, said Bird, the editor of Birds of Canada. "The biggest impact of agricultural intensity though is our war on insects. Numerous recent studies have shown that insect populations in many places throughout the world, including the U.S., have crashed by well over 40 percent," Bird said in an email. "Many of the birds in this new study showing population declines depend heavily on insects for food." A 2019 study of the same bird species by Cornell University conservation scientist Kenneth Rosenberg also found that North America had 3 billion fewer birds than in 1970, the article points out.

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Nigel Lythgoe earned the nickname 'Nasty Nigel' for his scathing behaviour and tough critiques as a judge on ITV talent show Popstars in 2001.

Three civilians have been killed in Dubai as Iran's missile and suicide drone bombardment of the Middle East with continues following the death of its Supreme Leader.

A smaller, security-conscious take on the viral AI agent platform

Interview  Ideally, you shouldn't have to defend yourself against your own AI agent. But we don't live in an ideal world and an unrestrained agent can cause a ton of damage.…

Katie Price said that she was feeling 'ecstatic, smitten and in love' as she performed in Ireland over the weekend - whilst her husband Lee Andrews remained in missile-hit Dubai.

Mark Ronson and his wife put on a rare display of public affection on Saturday night as they attended the BRITs afterparty.

Lindsey Graham, a senior Republican and staunch ally of the US President, lashed out at the leaders of France, Germany and the UK after they failed to offer fulsome backing for the American action.

Over 100 unclaimed estates in Essex await rightful heirs, check the Bona Vacantia list here to see if you’re an eligible relative.

Hilltop Garden Centre, in Clacton Road, Weeley, has announced the return of its Easter Family Fun Day.

COLCHESTER’S annual Half Marathon has become a key date in the city's sporting and social calendar.

Over 100 unclaimed estates in Essex await rightful heirs, check the Bona Vacantia list here to see if you’re an eligible relative.

Immigrants built the uniquely shaped building with supersition in mind

A 50-year old man has been taken into custody following a horror attack at a shopping centre where a security guard, described by loved ones as a 'gentle giant,' was tragically stabbed to death. 

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, 69, was reportedly killed by an Israeli airstrike on Saturday, in the same blitz that also killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Noel Gallagher poked fun at the BRITs after being awarded the Songwriter of the Year on Saturday night.

Slashdot reader darwinmac writes: The Document Foundation (TDF), the organization behind LibreOffice, has decided to bring back its LibreOffice Online project which been inactive since 2022. Collabora, a company that was a major contributor to the original LibreOffice Online, is not pleased with this development. After the original project went dormant, Collabora forked the code and created its own product, Collabora Online. Collaboras Michael Meeks, who also sits on the TDF board, reacted to the TDFs decision by saying that a fully supported, free online version already exists in the form of Collabora Online, and that resurrecting a dead repository makes little sense when an active, open community around the online suite already exists. For now, The Document Foundation plans to reopen the old repository for new contributions. The organization has issued a warning that the code is not ready for live deployment and users should wait until the development team confirms it is stable.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The renowned journalist and television presenter, who today celebrates her 61st birthday, wed former England rugby captain Will Carling in June 1994 in a romantic ceremony.

Luisa Zissman has joined a terrified group celebrities including Petra Ecclestone and Arabella Chi sharing updates from the missile strikes in Dubai as they detailed the 'scariest night of their lives'.

A man from Essex has been arrested and charged, after officers found suspected drugs in his car following a crash near Dunmow.