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UN climate summit to run overtime as fury mounts on fossil fuels
UN climate talks in Dubai were set Tuesday to run past a host-imposed deadline for a deal as at-risk nations voiced fury over a proposed compromise that stops short of phasing out fossil fuels.
Fungi and flatworms: Scientists want more diverse nature emojis
Too many cats, not enough crustaceans: The current emoji catalog doesn't accurately represent the breadth of biodiversity seen in nature -- and that hurts conservation efforts, according to scientists.
Fury as climate draft deal falls short of fossil fuel phase-out
UN climate negotiations dragged into the early hours of Tuesday after the Emirati host of COP28 drew fire from Western powers and environmentalists over a draft deal that stopped short of calling for a phase-out of fossil fuels.
COP28's Emirati host narrows fossil fuel ambition, drawing fire
The Emirati head of COP28 climate talks on Monday stopped short of pushing for a phase-out of fossil fuels, in a first bid for consensus that drew immediate fire from Western powers and environmentalists who had hoped for a historic turning point.
Freshwater fish swim into trouble as climate change increases threat: IUCN
A quarter of freshwater fish species worldwide are at risk of extinction, according to an update to the global red list of threatened species on Monday, highlighting the escalating impacts of human-caused climate change on the planet's wildlife.
Climate talks eye compromise on fossil fuels, drawing doubts
The head of the Dubai climate summit on Monday proposed a compromise on historic language on fossil fuels, calling for a major reduction but not an explicit phase-out, in an 11th-hour bid to reach a deal.
'Race against time': Climate talks in last push over fate of fossil fuels
UN leaders on Monday urged an end to obstruction hours before a deadline for a deal at a climate summit in Dubai, as oil producers resisted historic calls for the world to wind down fossil fuels.
Reborn night train links Berlin and Paris
A new sleeper service between Berlin and Paris will set off from the German capital on Monday evening after a decade-long hiatus, as night trains gain in popularity as an alternative to short-haul flights.
Olympic surfing to be held in Polynesia despite row: president
Next year's Olympic surfing competition will be held in French Polynesia as planned, the regional president has said, declaring a blazing row between organisers, authorities and environmental groups to be over.
Brazil caimans fight to survive in polluted Rio waters
Intrepid as Crocodile Dundee, Brazilian biologist Ricardo Freitas catches a caiman in the dark of night with a snare pole, then hoists it into his small wooden boat.
US joins COP28 push to end fossil fuels but keeps on pumping
The United States is helping lead the charge at UN climate talks to phase out fossil fuels, but the superpower's status as the world's top oil producer is already casting doubt on its credibility.
'Small minority' blocking COP28 progress, says at-risk Vanuatu
A small minority of countries at UN climate talks are blocking a growing consensus to phase out fossil fuels, at-risk Vanuatu's climate change minister told AFP on Sunday.
Progress but divisions persist as climate summit fights over fossil fuels
A UN climate summit in Dubai made progress Saturday but deep divides persisted, negotiators said, following a last-minute push by the OPEC oil cartel to block a phase-out of fossil fuels.
Progress but divides persist as climate summit takes up fossil fuels
A UN climate summit in Dubai made progress Saturday but deep divides persisted, negotiators said, following a last-minute push by the OPEC oil cartel to block a phase-out of fossil fuels.
Environmental activists pour green dye in Venice canal
Environmental activists from the group Extinction Rebellion poured dye into Venice's Grand Canal and several Italian rivers Saturday in protest against the "failure" of ongoing international climate talks to deliver results.
OPEC push on fossil fuels draws ire at climate talks
Negotiations over the future of fossil fuels heated up at UN climate talks on Saturday, with OPEC catching flak over the oil cartel's push to block any phase-out in the final deal.
Rent-a-tree firm helps Londoners have a sustainable Christmas
On a crisp, winter's day at a London scout centre, seasoned customers picked their way along muddy rows of Christmas trees in pots labelled with their names while newcomers mulled over which one to rent. "It's a big decision", said one.
Rent-a-tree firm helps Londoners have a sustaintable Christmas
On a crisp, winter's day at a London scout centre, seasoned customers picked their way along muddy rows of Christmas trees in pots labelled with their names while newcomers mulled over which one to rent. "It's a big decision" said one.
Wild birds analyze grunts, whistles made by human honey-hunters
In parts of Africa, expert honey-hunters call out to a species of bird known as the greater honeyguide, which leads them to wild bee nests -- a mutually beneficial practice.
Current carbon dioxide levels last seen 14 million years ago
The last time carbon dioxide in the atmosphere consistently matched today's human-driven levels was 14 million years ago, according to a large new study Thursday that paints a grim picture of where Earth's climate is headed.
Heavier rains in East Africa due to human activity: study
Climate change caused by human activity made torrential rains that have lashed East Africa since October and killed more than 300 people up to twice as intense, a scientific study said Thursday.
Pressure mounts on COP28 president as fossil fuel debate sizzles
The Emirati head of UN climate talks faced growing pressure Wednesday to steer nations towards a consensus as negotiators sparred over the thorny issue of fossil fuels.
UN slams COP28 'posturing' as fossil fuel debate sizzles
UN climate chief Simon Stiell on Wednesday accused nations of "posturing" at the COP28 talks in Dubai, raising the temperature on negotiators sparring over the thorny issue of fossil fuels.
'Living dead': Tunisian villages suffer drought, climate change
Tunisian villager Ounissa Mazhoud ties two empty jerry cans to a donkey and cautiously descends a stony hill towards the last local source of water.
'We felt it first': Climate-threatened islands battle fossil fuels at COP28
Despite being among the least to blame for global warming, small islands have been some of the first to witness the catastrophic impacts of climate change.
Toxic air divides Delhi between poverty and privilege
Environmental change hits the poorest the hardest, experts say, and in India's toxic smog-filled capital that includes the air people breathe.
Wellington welcomes first wild-born kiwi chicks in a century
Conservationists in New Zealand celebrated on Tuesday after discovering that kiwi chicks had been born in the wilds around Wellington for the first time in more than a century.
Record more than 2,000 fossil fuel lobbyists at COP28 talks: NGOs
A record almost 2,500 fossil fuel lobbyists have been accredited for UN climate talks in Dubai, as negotiators wrestle with calls to end all new oil, gas and coal projects to curb global warming, campaign groups said Tuesday.
Eight dead as cyclone batters India's southeast coast
Chest-high waters surged down the streets of India's southern city Chennai on Tuesday with eight people killed in intense floods as Cyclone Michaung was set to make landfall on the southeast coast.
Green turtles fight to survive against Pakistan's urban sprawl
Against the backdrop of the mega port city of Karachi, choked with traffic and construction, four green turtles emerge from the frothy Arabian Sea seeking a spot to lay their eggs.
COP28 host UAE choking from its own 'toxic' air pollution: HRW
The United Arab Emirates is choking under "alarmingly high" air pollution levels fed by its fossil fuel industry, Human Rights Watch warned on Monday as the oil-rich country hosts the UN's COP28 climate talks in Dubai.
Volunteer divers guard Oman's 'unique' coral reefs
On a sailing boat anchored off Oman's pristine Daymaniyat Islands, volunteer divers pull on wetsuits, check their scuba tanks and then take turns plunging into the clear turquoise water.