The first of 30 Greenpeace activists arrested after a protest over Arctic oil drilling has left Russia, the environmental group said on Thursday, with all expected to get clearance to leave Russia by Friday.

The protesters and two freelance journalists, including six Britons - were arrested after Russian authorities boarded their ship, the Arctic Sunrise, during an anti-drilling demonstration in September

Hopes are now that activists and journalists will be home for Christmas following move by Russian parliament

Even worse, the rebound is probably only a temporary respite

Champions League sponsor Gazprom were the target

Now... Winter sun in the wild Atlantic

Cape Verde is an Atlantic island nation that basks in year-round sunshine. Departing on 10 December, you can spend a week exploring the main island of Boa Vista, using the Iberostar as your base, with meals, transfers and Thomson flights from Gatwick for £828pp. capeverde.co.uk

Sleet and snow showers to hit Scotland later in the week

Mr Perrett and Bryan have now been moved to an undisclosed location after a St Petersburg court granted their release

Otherwise the conflicting views go on as strongly as ever

Failure to record temperature rises in the Arctic explains apparent ‘flatlining’, study finds, undermining sceptics’ argument that climate change has stopped

It was the evidence that climate change sceptics loved to cite. While the scientific community’s warnings about global warming had become ever more convincing, the critics pointed time and again to graphs showing the rise in the world’s average surface temperatures has slowed down since 1998 – a fact extensively interpreted by many vocal opponents as a fundamental failure in the basic science of climate change.

The hotel, which is located in the north Swedish town of Jukkasjarvi, is rebuilt every winter after it melts in the spring

A second British member of the Greenpeace crew arrested by the Russian authorities during a protest against drilling in the Arctic has been denied bail.

Two Britons – including a journalist – refused bail ahead of trial date in late November

The 28 protesters and two freelance journalists are currently being detained and had previously all been charged with ‘piracy’

Environmental group  to file a case with the European Court of Human Rights