our science correspondent pallab ghosh gives his analysis of the year. 2021 was the year that world leadersave the planet.

our science correspondent, pallab ghosh, reports.e useless to the farming industry because they're male and don't lay eggs, so they have to be killed. that problem could be solved thanks to a breakthrough that enables scientists to reprogramme animals to produce only females. some six to 7 billion male layer chicks are killed every year shortly after birth at a point when they have a nervous system and are capable of suffering. we would like to be able to move to a system where those same eggs are laid, but instead never hatch. scientists at the francis crick institute in london have found that the system was successful in mice, and they think it'll work on chickens. the researchers here have found a way of deactivating a gene involved with embryo development. the system can be programmed to stop either male or female embryos from developing using a technique called gene editing. the sex of a mammal is determined by its chromosomes. females have a pair of xs, males have an x and y. the process involves inserting half the gene editing

pallab ghosh, bbc news. the actor sir antony sher has died aged 72.ng association with the royal shakespeare company. david sillito looks back at his life. deformed, unfinished, sent before my time into this breathing world, scarce half made up. antony sher�*s richard iii, a scuttling, spidery malevolence. it went beyond mere good reviews to become the portrayal against which all others are measured. when they are gone, then i must count my gains. your hair's nice. howard kirk in the history man, the defining �*70s campus radical. perhaps we should just add his name... i think my biggest problem is being young and beautiful. it is my biggest problem, because i have never been young and beautiful. arnold's, the drag queen in torch song trilogy, another olivier award—winning role. oh, i've been beautiful. antony sher was also an accomplished writer and painter, but this career had begun with rejection from rada. they sent a letter saying, "we strongly recommend that you think about another career." which, you know, at that time, you know, really puts yo

pallab ghosh, bbc news.es across a huge area of east africa as the region faces the worst drought for many years. crops are failing and animals on which many communities depend are dying of thirst. there's been three years of poor rainfall in northern kenya, much of somalia and southern ethiopia. it's feared the drought will continue long into next year, putting millions of lives at risk. the bbc�*s senior africa correspondent anne soy reports from northern kenya. the devastating impact of drought. this is wajir in northern kenya. they've not had enough rain here for three consecutive seasons. water pans have long dried up. there are dead animals everywhere. even at ahmed ibrahim's home. he's 66 and tells me he's never witnessed anything like this. translation: the drought has been going on - for the last nine months. i had 150 heads of cattle, but now left with about 30, which are very weak. i also had 400 goats. i'm only left with these few that you can see. a few times every day, neighbours helped to lift

pallab ghosh, bbc news.rosecutors have filed involuntary manslaughter charges against the parents of a teenager accused of shooting dead four students at his school in michigan. the world health organization says vaccines may not be able to prevent people from infection with the omicron strain — but they do seem to make its effects far less serious. talks in vienna aimed at reviving the international nuclear deal with iran have faltered with european diplomats expressing disappointment and concern. they say tehran has backtracked on diplomatic progress made. iran's top negotiator suggests that his counterparts should come up with their own proposals. talks are due to continue next week. the us secretary of state, antony blinken, says iran has some very important decisions to make in the days ahead. the window is very, very tight because what is not acceptable and what we will not allow to happen is for iran to try to drag out this process while continuing to move forward inexorably in building up its program

pallab ghosh, bbc news.essor of law and director of the center for law and the biosciences. he joins us from california. i'll be in the early stages of this research or will be set applied in practice soon? we are into the _ applied in practice soon? - are into the early stages. this is a very clever piece of work and i was very impressed with that but you have to remember almost every biological research, never believe it until someone else replicates it and they run a species specific variation. just because it can be done in mice does not mean it can be done in cattle or pigs. i do not see any good reasons it cannot be but biology often surprises us. chickens have a different kind of system for sexual determination but they have a plausible weight to work with chickens as well.— plausible weight to work with chickens as well. that has been a lot of focus _ chickens as well. that has been a lot of focus on _ chickens as well. that has been a lot of focus on animal- a lot of focus on animal welfare and the

our science correspondent pallab ghosh gives his analysis of the year. 2021 was the year that world leaders agreed on a new plan to save the planet. hearing no objections, it is so decided. scientists warned that it was now or never to stop damaging climate change. the difference between 1.5 and 2.4 is really survival of millions and millions of people and species in the planet. environmentalists chopped down trees to save the planet. nasa's perseverance rover landed on mars. and there was a discovery of what might be another fundamental force of nature. welcome to the year in science. the earth's climate dominated this year in science. welcome to the year in science. the earth's climate dominated this year in science. for a long time, scientists have warned that our current way of life would lead to dangerous and possibly irreversible damage to the earth's ecosystems. world leaders gathered at the un climate change conference were told now is the time to act. ready to start. world leaders gathered in glasgow in november to hammer out a deal to reduce carbon dioxide levels to stop dangerous

science correspondent pallab ghosh gives his analysis of the year. 2021 was the year that world leadersit was now or never to stop damaging climate change. the difference between 1.5 and 2.4 is really survival of millions and millions of people and species in the planet. environmentalists chopped down trees to save the planet. nasa's perseverance rover landed on mars. and there was a discovery of what might be another fundamental force of nature. welcome to the year in science. the earth's climate dominated this year in science. for a long time, scientists have warned that our current way of life would lead to dangerous and possibly irreversible damage to the earth's ecosystems. world leaders gathered at the un climate change conference were told now is the time to act. ready to start. world leaders gathered in glasgow in november to hammer out a deal to reduce carbon dioxide levels to stop dangerous global warming. and one of the biggest disputes was over the future of coal. for a while, it looked like negotiators couldn't reach a deal. then, the man at the centre of the talks, alok sh

the bbc�*s science correspondent pallab ghosh has this analysis of the year. 2021 was the year that worldme, scientists have warned that our current way of life would lead to dangerous and possibly irreversible damage to the earth's ecosystems. world leaders gathered at the un climate change conference were told now is the time to act. ready to start. world leaders gathered in glasgow in november to hammer out a deal to reduce carbon dioxide levels to stop dangerous global warming. and one of the biggest disputes was over the future of coal. for a while, it looked like negotiators couldn't reach a deal. then, the man at the centre of the talks, alok sharma, had to appeal to all the parties to cooperate. this is the moment of truth for our planet and it's a moment of truth for our children and our grandchildren. it did the trick. an agreement was reached. by the end of 2022, countries will have to update their climate pledges at a faster pace than before. by 2024, a package of long—term financial aid for the poorest nations have to be agreed. and then, by 2030, to avoid the worst of global