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Climate-threatened nations stage protest at COP29 over contentious deal

The world's most climate-imperilled nations stormed out of consultations in protest at the deadlocked UN COP29 conference Saturday, as simmering tensions over a hard-fought finance deal erupted into the open.

Children suffer as schools go online in polluted Delhi

Confined to her family's ramshackle shanty by the toxic smog choking India's capital, Harshita Gautam strained to hear her teacher's instructions over a cheap mobile phone borrowed from her mother.

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Pilgrims pack Mount Arafat for climax of biggest Covid-era hajj

Huge crowds of robed Muslim pilgrims prayed on Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat on Friday, the climax of the biggest hajj pilgrimage since the pandemic forced drastic cuts in numbers two years in a row.

Sweat, pray, love: extreme heat hounds hajj

The hajj pilgrimage can be physically draining even in ideal conditions, but worshippers this year face an added challenge: scorching sun and temperatures rising to 42 degrees Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit).

Huge groups of fin whales sign of hope for ocean giants

For the first time since whaling was banned, dozens of southern fin whales have been filmed feasting together in a "thrilling" Antarctic spectacle, hailed by scientists Thursday as a sign of hope for the world's second largest animal.

Western US drought brings Great Salt Lake to lowest level on record

Water in Utah's Great Salt Lake has fallen to its lowest level ever recorded, authorities announced this week, a result of the ongoing drought impacting the western United States which scientists warn has been exacerbated by climate change.

Niger activists call for wood-free Eid barbecues to save trees

Non-governmental groups in Niger Wednesday urged Nigeriens to use less wood to grill their mutton during the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha this year to save precious trees.

Rhinos killed, poachers arrested in S.Africa's Kruger Park

Three poachers suspected of killing several rhinos in South Africa's Kruger National Park were arrested after they were tracked down by sniffer dogs, park officials said on Wednesday.

Sri Lankans return to cooking with firewood as economy burns

As once relatively wealthy Sri Lanka suffers a dire economic crisis with shortages of everything from medicines to gas, people are returning to cooking with firewood.

Deadpool: US mega drought spells trouble at Hoover Dam

Millions of gallons of Colorado River water hurtle through the Hoover Dam every day, generating electricity for hundreds of thousands of homes.

Police called as UK anti-oil activists target Constable

Two protesters from the Just Stop Oil group on Monday covered a famous British pastoral painting with a poster of an apocalyptic future, then glued themselves to its frame.

Rescuers resume search after Italian glacier collapse kills six

Rescuers were to resume the search for survivors on Monday after an avalanche set off by the collapse of the largest glacier in the Italian Alps killed at least six people and injured eight others.

Climate activists stage protest at British Grand Prix

Climate activists invaded the circuit at Silverstone on Sunday shortly after the British Grand Prix was red-flagged following a multi-car crash at the start.

US mega drought makes boating rough on Lake Mead

In the 15 years since Adam Dailey began boating on Lake Mead, the shoreline has receded hundreds of meters, the result of more than two decades of punishing drought that is drying out the western United States.

Covid air war being lost, experts warn, urging mass ventilation

The world is still not using one of its most effective weapons against Covid -- properly ventilating public spaces -- more than two years into the pandemic, experts warn.

Waterways in Brazil's Manaus choked by tons of trash

In Manaus, the largest city in Brazil's Amazon rainforest, tons of stinking trash fill the canals and streams, giving one the feeling that they're visiting a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Kerry vows US to meet climate goal despite court setback

US climate envoy John Kerry vowed Friday the United States will meet goals it submitted to the United Nations on slashing greenhouse gas emissions, despite a Supreme Court ruling that curtailed the government's powers.

UN urges ambitious action to protect the oceans

World leaders must do more to protect the oceans, a major United Nations conference concluded on Friday, setting its sights on a new treaty to protect the high seas.

India bans many single-use plastics to tackle waste

India imposed a ban on many single-use plastics on Friday in a bid to tackle waste choking rivers and poisoning wildlife, but experts say it faces severe headwinds from unprepared manufacturers and consumers unwilling to pay more.

California lawmakers pass sweeping bill to reduce non-recyclable plastic

Garbage be gone: California's legislature has passed an ambitious bill mandating reduction of non-recyclable plastic by at least 30 percent in six years, while also placing responsibility on producers.

Climate change cases surge as courts become environment battleground

A quarter of all climate change-related legal cases since the 1980s were filed in the last two years, according to new research Thursday showing surging litigation targeting governments, fossil fuel firms and a growing array of other companies.

India's women water warriors transform parched lands

As the monsoon storms bear down on India, a dedicated group of women hope that after years of backbreaking labour, water shortages will no longer leave their village high and dry.

Kenyan pilot project to put price on nature's treasure

The bird count gets underway -- two members of the superb starling family, a Nubian woodpecker, and so on.

Mucky business: Thai prisoners clean Bangkok sewers after pandemic delay

Flecked with sewage, a Thai prisoner grapples with an overflowing bucket as he and his fellow inmates clean Bangkok's congested drains for the first time in two years.

Nearly 1 in 4 globally at risk from severe flooding: study

Almost a quarter of the world's population are exposed to significant flood risks, according to new research published Tuesday, which warned those in poorer countries were more vulnerable.

G7 disappoints with fossil fuel 'loophole'

Leaders of the Group of Seven rich nations on Tuesday watered down a key pledge on ending fossil fuel financing abroad, as the need to tackle global warming clashed with fears over energy shortages.

Taliban to hold grand council to chart Afghan progress

Hundreds of religious leaders and "people of influence" from around Afghanistan have been summoned to the capital to attend a three-day grand council in support of the country's Taliban rule.

Indonesian zoo breeds dozens of endangered baby Komodo dragons

An Indonesian zoo has welcomed dozens of new baby Komodo dragons hatched in captivity in recent months as part of a breeding programme, its director said Tuesday, offering hope for efforts to conserve the endangered species.

Life in the abyss, a spectacular and fragile struggle for survival

Cloaked in darkness and mystery, the creatures of the deep oceans exist in a world of unlikely profusion, surviving on scant food and under pressure that would crush human lungs.

'Unimaginable': Austria prepares to reopen coal power station

At the Mellach coal power plant in southern Austria, spider webs have taken over the conveyor belts, and plants and flowers have sprung up around the vast lot that once stored coal.

US to work with Taiwan, Vietnam against illegal fishing

The United States said Monday it would step up cooperation with Vietnam and Taiwan among others to combat illegal fishing, a problem that environmentalists and Western nations increasingly attribute to China.

Ailing oceans in state of 'emergency', says UN chief

A long-delayed conference on how to restore the faltering health of global oceans kicked off in Lisbon on Monday, with the head of the UN saying the world's seas are in crisis.

Funeral held in Brazil for slain British journalist

Grieving family and friends paid their last respects Sunday to British journalist Dom Phillips, who was murdered in the Amazon earlier this month along with an Indigenous expert.

France caps visitor numbers at Marseille Calanques coves

Two popular coves in the "Calanques" area near Marseille, among southern France's main attractions, saw visitor numbers capped on Sunday for the first time to protect their fragile ecosystem.

French energy giants urge consumers to cut back

Consumers should start cutting back on their energy use immediately, the bosses of France's three big energy companies urged Sunday, warning of social tensions next winter unless reserves are replenished.

Energy shock tests G7 leaders' climate resolve

Leaders of the Group of Seven rich nations will be under pressure to stick to climate pledges in Bavaria from Sunday, as Russia's energy cuts trigger a dash back to planet-heating fossil fuels.

Oceans saved us, now we can return the favour

Humanity must heal oceans made sick by climate change, pollution and overfishing in order to rescue marine life and save ourselves, experts warned ahead of a major UN conference opening Monday in Lisbon.

Drought hits Italy's hydroelectric plants

Hydroelectric power in Italy has plunged this year thanks to a drought that has also sparked water restrictions and fears for agriculture, industry sources said Friday.

Indonesian designer's wheels behind leaders' bamboo bike bromance

As Indonesian President Joko Widodo led Anthony Albanese around the lush gardens of a presidential palace south of Jakarta earlier this month, he presented the new Australian prime minister with an unusual gift: a bamboo bike.

Bodies of two men murdered in Brazilian Amazon returned to families

The bodies of British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira were handed over to their families Thursday, nearly two and half weeks after they were killed in Brazil's Amazon.

Workers strike at world's largest copper producer, Chile's Codelco

Workers at Chile's state mining company Codelco, the largest producer of copper in the world, went on an "indefinite" strike on Wednesday, unions said, protesting the closure of a foundry in one of the country's most polluted regions.

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