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As baboons become bolder, Cape Town battles for solutions

On a sunny afternoon in Cape Town’s seaside village of Simon’s Town, three young chacma baboons cause a commotion, clambering on roofs, jumping between buildings and swinging on the gutters.

'Existential challenge': plastic pollution treaty talks begin

A final round of talks on a treaty to end plastic pollution opened on Monday, with the diplomat chairing the difficult negotiations urging nations to "meet an existential challenge."

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Illegal gold mining eats into Peruvian Amazon

On the banks of the Madre de Dios river, dredges work day and night in search of gold, part of a scourge of illegal mining that is slowly devouring the Peruvian Amazon.

Water crisis batters war-torn Sudan as temperatures soar

War, climate change and man-made shortages have brought Sudan -- a nation already facing a litany of horrors -- to the shores of a water crisis.

Experts, activists slam 'pointless' G7 on climate

The Group of Seven rich democracies have failed to deliver significant new progress on climate during a summit in Italy, instead reiterating previous commitments, experts and activists said Friday.

North Macedonia's beekeepers face climate change challenge

Every day, Magda Miloseska dons a white, protective suit and enters the domain of the honeybees in the backyard of her small weekend house in North Macedonia.

Sea swamps Bangladesh at one of world's fastest rates

After cyclone gales tore down his home in 2007, Bangladeshi fisherman Abdul Aziz packed up what was left of his belongings and moved about half a kilometre inland, further away from storm surge waves.

Thousands of fish dead as lake dries in Mexican drought

Thousands of fish have died as a lagoon in northern Mexico partly dried up amid a crippling drought plaguing the country.

Brazil's Lula defends oil exploration near Amazon River

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Wednesday that a controversial offshore oil exploration plan near the mouth of the Amazon River was a key opportunity for the country's growth.

Underwater gardeners plant eelgrass to save 'dead' Danish fjord

Under a white tent on the shores of a polluted Danish fjord, volunteers and researchers prepare slender green shoots of eelgrass to be planted on the seabed to help restore the site's damaged ecosystem.

Ancient Greek sanctuary slowly sinks into the Aegean Sea

A brief boat ride from the thrumming nightclubs of Mykonos lies the UNESCO heritage site of Delos, one of the most important sanctuaries of the ancient Greek and Roman world.

Animals killed as fire rips through Bangkok pet market

A fire ripped through pet shops next to Bangkok's famed Chatuchak market early Tuesday, killing caged dogs, cats, birds and snakes, and damaging more than 100 stalls, police said.

Green parties suffer EU poll drubbing

Green parties suffered major losses in the EU elections, particularly in France and Germany, hit by growing discontent at the bloc's environmental push and by voters' shifting priorities.

India's heatwave longest ever, worse to come

India's heatwave is the longest ever to hit the country, the government's top weather expert said Monday as he warned people will face increasingly oppressive temperatures.

Wild horse species returns to the Kazakh steppes

After a few hesitant steps following a long flight from Prague, three Przewalski horses galloped off for the first time into the Kazakh steppe -- the native habitat of this endangered species.

Swiss vote on renewable energy plan for 2050 carbon neutrality

Swiss voters were expected to approve in a referendum Sunday a law aimed at accelerating the development of renewable energy as the country aims for carbon neutrality by 2050.

Aquaculture overtakes wild fisheries for first time: UN report

Aquaculture is playing an increasingly important role in meeting the world's food needs, surpassing wild fisheries in aquatic animal production for the first time, according to a report published Friday.

Early heat wave breaks records in western US

Scorching temperatures broke early summer records in the western United States, before the region's first major heat wave of the year eased slightly Friday.

Ivory Coast bets on solar in clean energy drive

The sun beats down from a cloudless sky on the town of Boundiali, where Ivory Coast's first solar power plant embodies the drive to embrace clean energy without abandoning fossil fuels.

Shadowy exotic pet trade thrives in Pacific island nation

The Pacific's Solomon Islands has become a key player in the global live animal trade, with foreign collectors sourcing exotic species including some subject to trade bans, an AFP investigation has found.

Thailand warns 'Jurassic World' producers over filming impact

Thai officials have given "Jurassic World" producers a stern warning not to damage beaches and national parks when they film the next instalment of the blockbuster franchise in the kingdom.

After historic floods, Brazil braces for severe drought

After torrential rains that sparked historic flooding in southern Brazil, the country expects a swing to severe drought in parts, the environment minister said Wednesday.

UN chief urges fossil fuel ad ban as heat records pile up

Humans are as dangerous to Earth as the meteorite that drove dinosaurs to extinction, the UN chief said Wednesday, urging an end to fossil fuel ads after 12 months that were the hottest on record.

Australia's fearsome 'dinosaur bird' stares down extinction

With legs like a velociraptor and a striking neon blue neck, the southern cassowary cuts a fearsome figure in the rainforests of northeast Australia.

Danger warnings as heatwave hits western US

A dangerous heatwave was building over parts of the western United States Tuesday, with forecasters warning of rocketing temperatures in an early taste of a possibly brutal summer for the region.

Frustration in the air: Boeing delays hang over aviation meet

Back-slapping over record passenger figures is tinged with frustration at the airline trade body's annual meeting as carriers lament years-long delays to deliveries of new Boeing aircraft.

What looming La Nina means for global temperatures

El Nino, the natural weather phenomenon that contributed to 2023 being the hottest year on record, has recently subsided, paving the way for its opposing, cooling La Nina phase to begin.

UN forecasts La Nina could help lower temperatures this year

The return of the cooling La Nina weather phenomenon this year should help lower temperatures somewhat after months of global heat records, the United Nations' weather agency said Monday.

Activist arrested for attacking Monet painting in Paris

A climate activist was arrested on Saturday for sticking an adhesive poster on a Monet painting at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris to draw attention to global warming, a police source told AFP.

EU seeks roadblocks for Chinese EVs without sparking trade war

The EU faces a delicate balancing act as it prepares to rev up taxes on Chinese electric cars to protect European industry, while steering clear of a US-style showdown with Beijing that could spark a trade war.

Everest records tumble as season ends with eight dead

Mountaineers on Everest left the world's highest peak on Wednesday, ending a climbing season that broke multiple records but left eight people dead, tourism officials and expedition organisers said.

Indian capital records highest temperature of 49.9 Celsius

Temperatures in India's capital have soared to a record-high 49.9 degrees Celsius (121.8 degrees Fahrenheit) as authorities warn of water shortages in the sprawling mega-city.

Indian capital records highest-ever temperature of 49.9 Celsius

Temperatures in India's capital have soared to a record-high 49.9 degrees Celsius (121.8 Fahrenheit) as authorities warn of water shortages in the sprawling mega-city.

World's first wooden satellite built by Japan researchers

The world's first wooden satellite has been built by Japanese researchers who said their tiny cuboid craft will be blasted off on a SpaceX rocket in September.

Zürcher Nachrichten - Nature (English)