Ecosystems across the world are evolving into human-made "freakosystems". In these environments, native and non-native species live together, a set-up that poses conservation challenges – but may also represent the new global "normal".

What are freakosystems?
Also called novel ecosystems, they are "autonomous, wild ecosystems that deviate from natural baselines because of human activities", ecologist Jens-Christian Svenning, a professor at Denmark's Aarhus University, told the BBC. Freakosystems are home to "combinations of species never before seen in history", with native plants and animals "living alongside other species introduced by humans".

Although freakosystems require human influence to start, they have "grown to become self-sustaining and do not rely on human management", said The Carbon Almanac. Over time, non-native species "have become deeply integrated into the ecosystems, with some even evolving traits to better fit the area that they invaded".

Where have freakosystems developed?
"There's an estimate about 30% to 40% of our terrestrial land masses is already considered a novel ecosystem," ecologist Corey Tarwater told USA Today. A prime example is Hawaii, where "since humans have arrived, we've lost about 100 different plant species" and "about 60% of our bird species". Yet Hawaii is also home to thriving tropical forests that are a "tapestry of non-native species introduced from every corner of the planet", said the BBC, including "Brazilian peppertree, Indonesian cinnamon and roseleaf bramble from the Himalayas and Australia".

What does it mean for the future?
Novel ecosystems pose a delicate challenge for ecologists and conservationists. While invasive species can compromise established ecosystems, we "don't want to target the non-native birds that are helping promote dispersal of native plants", said Tarwater, nor "non-native plants that aren't really doing too much harm to the environment".

According to a 2024 study, novel ecosystems could make up more than 80% of the land surface by 2300. Ecological novelty will be "the new normal", said the journal Nature. "Our planet's future – and the question of whether a positive or negative biodiversity trajectory will ensue – is an as-yet unwritten story."

Donald Trump has reassured the world that he is very much alive and has "never felt better", amid widespread claims to the contrary. Rumours of the US president's death have been circulating online and were boosted by his unusual lack of public presence for three consecutive days last week.

Flags at half-mast
The speculation seems to have begun when a photograph of what appeared to be bruising on Trump's right hand went viral in June, sparking theories that he had been on an IV drip. Weeks later, the White House revealed that he was being treated for a non-life-threatening condition causing poor circulation and swelling in his lower limbs. Vice President J.D. Vance then unwittingly added fuel to the fire when he told an interviewer last month that if a "terrible tragedy" were to occur, he was ready to step up to the top job.

As social media users called attention to Trump's absence from public engagements, hashtags including #trumpisdead and #whereistrump began trending. Would-be sleuths searched for evidence to support the theory, such as the flags flying at half-mast at the White House, which was actually in response to a school shooting.

'Illusion of truth'
For rumours to spread, they must "have some degree of plausibility", said Psychology Today, and Trump's advanced age adds credence to speculation about his health. Joe Biden was also the subject of death hoaxes during his presidency, as well as speculation about his health and mental competence. Likewise, Trump's physical condition and mental cognition have been called into question repeatedly during both of his terms in office.

But while nearly every US president in history has "been the subject of death rumours", said the magazine, most were in office before the advent of social media. These platforms are "notorious for amplifying unverified claims", which can rapidly "spread in the digital echo chamber".

Continually repeating a claim gives it credibility in an effect known as the "illusion of truth". And allegations that Trump's alleged death had been covered up played into the "widespread distrust" that we have of politicians and the media. In this context, "even the flimsiest of claims" can be accepted.

Jacky the orangutan celebrates his 48th birthday with a feast of  bananas, grapes and melons at Indonesia's Bali Zoo. The great apes are classified as "critically endangered" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List.

Made Nagi / EPA / Shutterstock

You don't have to be a kid to enjoy a maze: losing yourself in a winding labyrinth of manicured hedges can be thrilling for people of all ages. Here are some of the UK's best living puzzles.

Hampton Court Palace Maze, London
Commissioned around 1700 by William III, this trapezoid-shaped labyrinth (pictured above) is the UK's oldest surviving hedge maze. It's "notoriously tricky", with "more dead ends than wives of Henry VIII, a former palace resident", said The Times.

Longleat Hedge Maze, Wiltshire
The sprawling maze at Longleat comprises more than 16,000 yew trees that are carefully pruned throughout the year by a team of dedicated gardeners. One of Britain's biggest mazes, the meandering paths are dotted with "observation towers and elevated bridges to help route-planning".

Saltish Cornish Maize Maze, Cornwall
"There's no maze quite like a maize maze, eh?" said Time Out. Located on a 450-acre working farm that's part of the Duchy of Cornwall estate, it's open from July until October, during which the maize crops grow tall and dense enough to form the intricate passages.

Conwy Valley Maze, Snowdonia
"Horticulturalists, step this way, please," said BBC Countryfile. This two-acre maze, located within Wales' stunning Conwy Valley, is home to several themed gardens. If you can't make it to the middle, you can find "consolation" with a stroll through the beautiful Rose Garden or Japanese Zen Garden.

Scone Palace Murray Star Maze, Perth
This "unique" maze is designed in the shape of the five-pointed star that features in the Murray family crest and is dotted throughout Scone Palace, said Country Living. "But the Scottish details don't stop there." The maze is made up of more than 2,000 beach trees – half green, half red – to create a breathtaking tartan effect.

Cracking down on transphobic hate speech doesn’t make the UK a police state
Marc Burrows in The Independent 
The arrest of comedy writer Graham Linehan over anti-trans tweets "triggered a predictable chorus of outrage", writes Marc Burrows. Of course, "it's right to scrutinise how police use their powers", but Linehan is simply facing "consequences for behaviour" that allegedly "crossed legal lines", including calling for "physical violence against a vulnerable group". His rhetoric has been escalating for years and "when you repeatedly test the boundaries of acceptable speech, eventually you're going to find them".

Punch & Judy politics won't work for the Tories
Chris Bayliss in The Critic
"Punch and Judy politics" –  the exchange of "well-understood set pieces of political theatre" between the government and opposition – used to work, writes Chris Bayliss. But "we now find ourselves in very different times". With the rise of Reform, "the curtain is about to fall on the Labour-Conservative show". The Tories' "only hope" to avoid obsolescence is to drop the "tit-for-tat of formulaic opposition" and address the nation's problems "in the generational and epoch-defining terms that they demand". 

I'm with Kim Kardashian. I don't believe in homework either
Georgina Fuller in The Times
Kim Kardashian "is not someone I would naturally align with", writes Georgina Fuller, but when it comes to homework, we're "very much on the same page". The school day shouldn't continue at home for younger children, who have "enough demands on their time as it is". There's "very little evidence" that homework "actually supports or consolidates learning", but if "my experience" as a mother-of-three "is anything to go by", it does cause "lots of unnecessary stress for families".