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'Dangerous new era': climate change spurs disaster in 2024

From tiny and impoverished Mayotte to oil-rich behemoth Saudi Arabia, prosperous European cities to overcrowded slums in Africa, nowhere was spared the devastating impact of supercharged climate disasters in 2024.

Oil leak in Peru tourist zone triggers 'environmental emergency'

Peru has declared an "environmental emergency" after an oil spill that triggered a clean-up operation on a stretch of northern coastline popular with tourists.

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July 22 sets new record for hottest day globally: EU climate monitor

Earth withered through a second-straight day of record-breaking heat on July 22, the EU's climate monitor said Wednesday, as large parts of Europe, Asia and North America suffer blistering temperatures.

'Truly frightening': Pesticides increasingly laced with forever chemicals

Toxic "forever chemicals" are increasingly being used in US pesticides, threatening human health as they contaminate waterways and are sprayed on staple foods, a study said Wednesday.

In fuel-guzzling Saudi Arabia, electric cars pique interest

For Hamed al-Rafidain, a Saudi human resources worker, an electric vehicle offers welcome savings, especially since his other car is a fuel-guzzling four-wheeler favoured by motorists in the desert kingdom.

July 21 hottest day ever recorded globally: EU climate monitor

July 21 was the hottest day ever registered globally, according to preliminary data published Tuesday by the EU's climate monitor.

Don't look down: fearless trainees propel wind turbine boom

Perched almost 300 feet (90 meters) above the New Mexico plains, strapped to the sheer-edged roof of a wind turbine's generator by a single safety harness, Terrill Stowe is in his element.

Gaza health ministry says dozens killed, after Israel evacuation order

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Monday that an Israeli operation in Khan Yunis killed 70 people and wounded more than 200, after the military warned it would "forcefully operate" in the area.

Giraffes bring peace to Kenyan communities once at odds

On a vast farm in Kenya's Rift Valley, a veterinarian carefully takes aim before shooting a tranquiliser dart and sending another giraffe sinking slowly to the ground before it is roped and blindfolded.

With fires in east Canada 'under control,' evacuations ending

A forest fire in northeastern Canada that forced the evacuation of more than 9,000 people a week ago is now under control, allowing those displaced to begin returning home, authorities said Saturday.

COP29 hosts urge fossil fuel majors to donate to climate fund

Azerbaijan said Friday it hopes to raise money from fossil fuel producers for green projects in developing countries as the petro-state prepares to host the world's most important climate summit.

Seine fit for swimming six of seven days tested before Olympics

The River Seine has been clean enough to swim in for six of seven days tested ahead of the Olympic Games which get underway in a week, Paris city hall said on Friday.

Moonlit scramble across the sand for Turkey's booming baby turtle population

The baby loggerhead sea turtles emerged from their eggshells and began their first challenge in life: a wobbly dash across the sand to the moonlit waters of Turkey's Mediterranean coast -- sometimes with a helping hand from volunteers.

Ford to invest $3 bn in Canada on 'Super Duty' pickup production

Ford announced Thursday it would invest $3 billion to expand production of its "Super Duty" pickup trucks at a Canadian factory, at which it has previously pushed back plans for electric vehicles.

'I feel empty': Cambodians on canal route await fate

Food stand owner Dem Mech wells up as he sits in the yard of the home he will lose if Cambodia proceeds with a massive new canal running from the Mekong river to the sea.

Spain cleans up after mystery substance closes three beaches

Spanish authorities on Wednesday began cleaning up three beaches in the eastern city of Valencia, closed to the public after an unidentified black substance washed up on the coast.

Climate talks host urges rich nations to break stalemate

The host of this year's UN climate summit on Wednesday urged governments to start compromising to break a deadlock over how to help poorer countries tackle global warming.

Stockholm tests electric 'flying' ferry

One metre above the surface, a fully electric ferry is speeding across the waters of Stockholm as a Swedish company prepares to start taking its first regular passengers.

Climate change risk stirs oil market

From forest fires to hurricanes and other natural disasters: climate change risk is increasingly influencing oil prices, just as the world is struggling to shift away from high-polluting fossil fuels.

Leftover emeralds: the dream of Colombia's poor miners

One man's trash can very well become another man's treasure in the Colombian town of Muzo, the emerald capital of the world.

Paris mayor to take dip in Seine ahead of Olympics

The mayor of the French capital Anne Hidalgo is set to splash into the murky waters of the Seine on Wednesday to demonstrate that the river is clean enough to host the outdoor swimming events at the Paris Olympics later this month.

World's rarest whale washes up on New Zealand beach

The body of a spade-toothed whale -- a species so rare it has never been seen alive -- appears to have washed up on a New Zealand beach, scientists say.

Oh my (long) days: Melting ice caps slow Earth's spin

It's well known that as far as the climate crisis goes, time is of the essence.

Houston residents 'in hell' after Beryl cuts power for millions

Josh Vance stands in the airconditioned entrance of Sunnyside Community Center in Houston, Texas, one of the designated "cooling centers" open to the public after Hurricane Beryl knocked out power during a potent heat wave.

New UK coal mine plans appear doomed under new government

Contentious plans to open the UK's first new coal mine in decades appeared doomed Friday after it emerged the new Labour government will not defend the project's previous approval in court.

'We can't wait another year': disaster-hit nations call for climate aid

Countries on the frontlines of climate change have warned they cannot wait another year for long-sought aid to recover from disasters as floods and hurricanes wreak havoc across the globe.

In Cuba, a haven for the world's tiniest bird

The wings of the world's tiniest birds are a near-invisible blur as they whizz around tourists visiting a private Cuban garden that has become a haven for the declining species.

Dust in the air eased slightly in 2023: UN

The amount of dust in the air eased slightly in 2023, the United Nations said Friday, warning that poor environmental management was fuelling sand and dust storms.

Unusual rainfall brings winter flowers to Chile's Atacama desert

Large swaths of the Atacama desert, the driest on the planet, have been covered with purple and white flowers after unusual rainfall patterns in northern Chile.

Canada conservationists push back as grizzly hunting ban lifted

A decision to partially reverse a nearly two-decade ban on hunting grizzly bears in Canada's Alberta has angered environmentalists, with a group saying Wednesday they feared its impact on the species.

Paris dream of swimming in the Seine part of its Olympics vision

Going for a dip in the Seine on a hot summer's day has been the pipedream of many a Parisian since swimming in the river was formally banned a century ago.

Amazon tribes win lawsuit over carbon credits in Colombia

Colombia's Constitutional Court on Wednesday annulled a controversial carbon credit deal in the Amazon rainforest, which six local tribes said had been signed without their consent.

Warming Baltic Sea: a red flag for global oceans

Climate change combined with pollution from farming and forestry could flip northern Europe's Baltic Sea from being a sponge for CO2 to a source of the planet-warming gas, scientists studying told AFP.

Deadly, record-breaking heat wave grips western US

A record-breaking heat wave continued to grip the western United States on Tuesday, smashing records and endangering lives with little relief in sight.

Bombay Durpun - Nature (English)