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World approves UN rules for carbon trading between nations at COP29

New rules allowing wealthy polluting countries to buy carbon-cutting "offsets" from developing nations were agreed at UN climate talks Saturday, in a move already raising fears they will be used to greenwash climate targets.

Push to salvage climate talks after poor nations bristle at cash

Key nations raced Saturday to salvage UN climate talks after the poorest countries pushed back angrily for more than $300 billion a year in help from historic wealthy emitters.

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Lightning, downpours kill 65 in Pakistan, as April rain doubles historical average

At least 65 people have died in storm-related incidents including lightning in Pakistan, officials said, with rain so far in April falling at nearly twice the historical average rate.

Dubai reels from floods chaos after record rains

Dubai's giant highways were clogged by flooding and airport passengers were urged to stay away on Wednesday as the glitzy financial centre reeled from record rains.

Snake on a train delays Japanese bullet service

Even small delays in Japan's much-vaunted bullet trains are rare, and more unusual still are snakes on board holding up the speedy "shinkansen" services.

Australia's Great Barrier Reef hit by record bleaching

Australia's spectacular Great Barrier Reef is experiencing its worst bleaching event on record, the country's reef authority reported on Wednesday.

Queen bumblebees surprise scientists by surviving underwater

Bumblebees can surprisingly withstand days underwater, according to a study published Wednesday, suggesting they could withstand increased floods brought on by climate change that threaten their winter hibernation burrows.

World in grip of new major coral bleaching event, reefs at risk

The world is currently experiencing the second major coral bleaching event in 10 years, with reef systems from Australia to Florida at risk of dying following months of record-breaking ocean heat, a US agency announced Monday.

Record heat rots cocoa beans threatening Ivory Coast agriculture

Surrounded by cocoa trees and intense heat, Christian Andre Yapi is forced to admit that the precious beans are no longer growing as they should, a major problem for the world's leading producer.

Russian governor warns of 'very difficult' plight as floods rise

Floodwaters in southern Russia on Sunday threatened to submerge thousands more homes in the Kurgan region, where the governor predicted a "very difficult situation" in the coming hours.

'The water is coming': Russians flee flooded homes

Alexander Budargin, 25, stood outside his block of flats in the Russian city of Orenburg with knee-deep water lapping in the courtyard, wondering whether it was time to leave.

Mayor orders 'mass evacuations' in Russia flood city

Flooding in the Russian city of Orenburg became "critical" Friday forcing "mass evacuations" as the Ural river level rises, the mayor said.

Peru court sentences killers of Indigenous land defenders

A Peruvian court on Thursday imposed near three-decade sentences on five men who were being retried for the murders of four Indigenous Amazon land defenders who had crossed swords with illegal loggers.

EU to make pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries pay for treating water

The European Union's parliament Wednesday approved a package of rules that will make the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries cover more of the costs of cleaning up their waste waters.

Canada readies for another 'explosive' wildfire season

Canada is bracing for another "explosive" wildfire season after last year's marked the worst that Canadians have ever known, federal officials said Wednesday.

Global warming will 'decimate' G20 economies without unity: UN climate head

UN climate chief Simon Stiell on Wednesday warned G20 nations their economies face decimation and they must overcome geopolitical divisions to tackle global warming.

US announces tough tap water standards for 'forever chemicals'

US President Joe Biden's administration on Wednesday announced the first nationwide tap water standards to protect the public from toxic "forever chemicals" linked to serious health harms ranging from cancers to developmental damage in children.

Top Europe court condemns Switzerland in landmark climate ruling

Europe's top rights court on Tuesday said Switzerland was not doing enough to tackle climate change, in the first such ruling on the responsibility of states in curbing global warming.

Bogota restricts water as reservoirs hit 'critical' lows

The mayor of Colombia's capital Bogota on Monday announced water restrictions as reservoirs in the sprawling Andean city hit "critical" levels.

To each their own: In Texas town, reasons vary for watching eclipse

Shelli Ezell wants to watch the upcoming solar eclipse so she can feel the presence of her late daughter, with whom she observed one in 2017.

Rare Javan rhino calf spotted in Indonesia

A new Javan rhinoceros calf has been spotted at an Indonesian national park, giving hope for the conservation of one of the world's most endangered mammals.

US nuclear industry upbeat on small reactors, despite setback

Despite the recent cancellation of a next-generation US nuclear plant, backers of the carbon-free power source remain hopeful new projects will come on line by the end of the decade.

Thunberg detained twice at Dutch climate protest

Dutch police twice detained climate activist Greta Thunberg on Saturday after a group of marchers blocked a main road in The Hague to protest against fossil fuel subsidies.

Denmark holds 'funeral' for a polluted fjord

A fjord in the east of Denmark received last rites on Saturday from a group of local activists in an effort to draw attention to the poor health of the country's coastal waters.

Austria risks becoming largely 'ice-free' in 45 years: Alpine Club

Austria is set to become largely "ice-free" within 45 years, the country's Alpine Club warned Friday, as two of its glaciers last year melted by more than 100 metres (330 feet).

China's green-tech manufacturing powerhouse

China has extended its manufacturing domination to clean energy industries in recent years, alongside a global push for climate change action, but that is starting to worry the United States, Europe and others.

Tokyo crowds revel as cherry blossoms reach full bloom

Tourists and residents packed Tokyo's top cherry blossom spots on Thursday to enjoy the full bloom that has arrived in the Japanese capital later than usual this year because of cold weather.

Despite gains in Brazil, forest destruction still 'stubbornly' high: report

The world lost 10 football fields of old-growth tropical forest every minute in 2023 and despite uplifting progress in the Amazon, the picture elsewhere is less rosy, researchers said on Thursday.

EU probes Chinese-owned solar panel firms over subsidies

The European Union on Wednesday announced investigations targeting two Chinese-owned solar panel manufacturers suspected of receiving subsidies as trade tensions heat up between Brussels and Beijing.

From polar bears to groundwater, nature is riddled with 'forever chemicals'

They didn't exist a century ago but today PFAS "forever chemicals" contaminate the environment from groundwater to Antarctic snow to turtle eggs, and concern over their possible toxicity is growing.

Tesla reports drop in auto sales, while Toyota sees US surge

Tesla reported sharply lower first-quarter auto sales on Tuesday amid an underwhelming demand outlook for electric vehicles, while legacy players including Toyota rode improved US inventories to higher sales.

Canada's Trudeau on back foot over carbon tax

Polluters should pay up, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau insists. But pressure is mounting to scrap his signature climate policy, a federal levy on CO2 emissions, as ordinary Canadians see the law increase their own cost of living.

In Canada's Quebec, residents miffed over mining boom

Canada's Quebec province is rich with minerals needed for everything from electric cars to cell phones, but residents living atop the potential windfall are worried their backyards will be dug up -- and they won't get a dime.

UK's biggest water supplier plunges into deeper financial crisis

Debt-plagued Thames Water has failed to raise a major cash injection from shareholders, it revealed Thursday, blaming industry regulations that made its rescue plan "uninvestable".

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