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Islamabad puts drivers on notice as smog crisis worsens

Truck driver Muhammad Afzal was not expecting to be stopped by police, let alone fined, as he drove into Islamabad this week because of the thick diesel fumes emanating from his exhaust pipe.

Nowhere to pray as logs choke flood-hit Indonesian mosque

Almost two weeks on from devastating floods, Muslim worshippers in Indonesia's Sumatra who gathered at their local mosque on Friday for prayers were blocked from entering by a huge pile of thousands of uprooted trees.

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'Feedback loops' worsening climate crisis: report

Global warming melts sea ice, which leads to further warming because water absorbs more heat than ice, creating what scientists call a "climate feedback loop."

Escaped pet leopard runs amok in Pakistan capital

A pet leopard escaped from a house in the Pakistan capital and roamed the streets for hours before being shot with a sedation dart, wildlife officials said Friday.

Drought and frost batter vital potato crops in Bolivia

Dozens of furrows lie barren in a dusty field on the Bolivian highlands. It should be replete with potato plants ready for harvest, but a deadly combination of drought and frost proved too much for the crop.

Amazon pollution: the stain on Ecuador's oil boom

Lago Agrio is where it began in February 1967: Ecuador's first oil well drilled by the US Texaco-Gulf consortium to ring in an era of black gold for the Ecuadoran Amazon.

Sun sets waterfall ablaze in Yosemite 'firefall'

A spectacular "firefall" wowed nature-watchers in California's Yosemite National Park on Wednesday, with the setting sun lighting up a waterfall like a ribbon of fire.

Residents near toxic US train derailment told water 'safe' to drink

The governor of Ohio told residents living near the site of a toxic train derailment that it was "safe" to drink the water, as authorities investigate potential environmental fallout from the accident earlier this month.

David Malpass: World Bank chief pressed by climate questions

In his four years as World Bank President, David Malpass oversaw its response to crises ranging from the Covid-19 pandemic to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and food and energy shortages.

Residents near toxic US train derailment urged not to drink water

The governor of Ohio warned residents living near the site of a toxic train derailment to drink bottled water Wednesday, as authorities investigate potential environmental fallout from the accident earlier this month.

The controversial plan to release Fukushima plant's wastewater

Twelve years after a nuclear catastrophe triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami, workers at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in northeast Japan are preparing to release treated wastewater into the sea.

Too warm in Canada: world's largest ice rink may not open

The Canadian capital's iconic Rideau Canal Skateway -- the largest outdoor rink in the world and a UNESCO heritage site -- may not open this winter for the first time in five decades, due to a lack of ice.

Major firms not doing enough to curb deforestation: report

Many major global firms and financial institutions that directly or indirectly contribute to deforestation do not have any policies in place to protect forests, increasing the risk for catastrophic nature loss, a report said Wednesday.

Six arrested as climate activists block road near UK parliament

Climate activists blocked a road near the UK parliament on Tuesday with a Valentine's-themed protest, before being dragged away by members of the public, with police making six arrests.

Sri Lanka bans single-use plastics to save elephants

Sri Lanka will ban single-use plastics, the government said Tuesday, in a move that follows a series of wild elephant and deer deaths from plastic poisoning.

Colombia's bull fighting custom under fire for animal abuse

Eliecer Molina climbs the stands to receive his monetary prize after excelling in a corraleja in Colombia's Caribbean north.

Ford to build new US electric battery plant with Chinese partner

US auto manufacturer Ford announced Monday that it will build a new $3.5 billion battery plant in Michigan, diversifying its battery offerings with technology from a Chinese company as it boosts electric vehicle production.

Cartel torture victim could be 'America's Favorite Pet'

An elderly dog whose front paws were cut off by Mexican drug cartel members is in the running for the title of pet of the year in the United States.

France's lynx at high risk of extinction: study

The elusive Eurasian lynx is at risk of vanishing completely from France, according to a study Monday that called for urgent measures to boost the population of isolated wild cats.

Seven whales wash up dead on Cyprus

The Cyprus government is investigating how seven whales mysteriously washed up dead on the rugged shoreline of the island's north coast, authorities said on Saturday.

Long-term air pollution exposure raises depression risk: studies

Long-term exposure to air pollution raises the risk of depression, according to a pair of new studies published in the JAMA network of scientific journals.

Brazil's Amazon deforestation down 61% in January

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest was down 61 percent in January -- Leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's first month back in the job -- compared with the same period last year, according to an official report published on Friday.

Biden, Lula to unite on environment at W.House but split on Ukraine

President Joe Biden will discuss saving the Amazon rainforest with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday, but despite their alliance on the climate crisis the leaders of the Americas' two biggest countries still differ sharply on Ukraine.

Hungary protests against Chinese battery plant defy 'Orbanomics'

Even as diggers turned over land for one of Europe's biggest electric battery plants, environmental protesters vowed to run the Chinese project out of town.

Make it so: Mouse named after Patrick Stewart is world's oldest

A mouse named after "Star Trek" actor Patrick Stewart is officially the world's oldest in captivity, a US zoo has announced.

Emissions from fertilisers could be slashed by 2050: study

The production and use of nitrogen fertilisers accounts for five percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, which can be massively reduced with a few available interventions, a new study said Thursday.

Foot-and-mouth variant hits Iraq buffaloes, threatening livelihoods

Despite vaccinating his entire herd against foot-and-mouth disease, Iraqi farmer Saadoun Roumi has lost five of his 15 buffaloes to a variant never before seen in the country.

Climate: Could moon dust keep Earth cool?

Whether out-of-the-box thinking or a sign of desperation, scientists on Wednesday proposed the regular transport of moon dust to a gravity point between Earth and Sun to temper the ravages of global warming.

Swiss native fish in troubled waters

More than half of Switzerland's native fish species are threatened with extinction or are already extinct within the country's waters, a new assessment showed Wednesday.

Antarctic ice hits record low for January: climate monitor

The Antarctic Ocean area covered by ice was the lowest on record for January, exposing Earth to even more planet-warming heat, scientists reported Wednesday.

Glacier lakes swollen by global warming threaten millions

Violent flooding from glacier lakes formed or enlarged by climate change threatens at least 15 million people worldwide, most of them in four countries, researchers said Tuesday.

On the water with Myanmar's 'river cleaners'

Ma Yu launches her makeshift polystyrene boat into a Yangon creek for another day of trawling the filthy waters for plastic and tin cans with her team of "river cleaners".

Makeshift clinic saving pets burned in Chile forest fires

The kitten "was rolled into a ball" and had "his paws deformed and his little face burned," said Carolina Gonzalez, a volunteer at a make-shift clinic in Santa Juana, one of the settlements hardest hit by devastating forest fires in Chile this past week.

Brazil scuttles warship in Atlantic despite pollution concerns

Brazil on Friday sank a decommissioned aircraft carrier, the Navy announced, despite environmental groups claiming the formerly French ship was packed with toxic materials.

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