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Indonesia to revoke 22 forestry permits after deadly floods

Indonesia will revoke more than 20 forestry permits across the country, the forestry minister said Monday, after deadly floods and landslides devastated parts of the northwestern island of Sumatra.

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.

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Massive French wildfire contained but 'not under control'

French firefighters said Saturday that the country's biggest wildfire in at least half a century was contained but would not be brought under control before Sunday evening.

Trump moves to kill $7 billion in solar panel grants

President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday moved to kill a $7 billion program designed to bring rooftop solar to low-income and disadvantaged communities across the United States.

US to rewrite its past national climate reports

US President Donald Trump's administration is revising past editions of the nation's premier climate report -- its latest move to undermine the scientific consensus on human-caused global warming.

Third-hottest July on record wreaks climate havoc

The third-hottest July worldwide ended a string of record-breaking temperatures, but many regions were devastated by extreme weather amplified by global warming, the European climate monitoring service said Thursday.

World Cup host Morocco under pressure to save stray dogs

Animal welfare groups have accused Morocco of culling stray dogs as it prepares to host football's 2030 World Cup, but the kingdom denies the accusations, vowing to protect the canines.

Turkmenistan's methane-spewing 'Gateway to Hell' loses its anger

People go to the "Gateway to Hell" gas crater in the middle of the Turkmenistan desert expecting an angry cauldron but are now coming away unimpressed.

Plastic pollution treaty talks open with 'global crisis' warning

The 184 countries gathering to forge a landmark treaty on combating plastic pollution were told Tuesday they must find a way to tackle a global crisis wrecking ecosystems and trashing the oceans.

China to offer free pre-school education from autumn

China said on Tuesday it would introduce free pre-school education from the autumn, as the world's second most populous nation seeks to boost childbirth in the face of a looming demographic crisis.

Japan sets new record high temperature of 41.8C

Japan logged two new heat records in a day on Tuesday, with the mercury hitting 41.6C and then 41.8C, the weather office said, warning temperatures may rise further still.

Swiss 'Mountain Tinder' sparks high-altitude attraction

Cathy and Patrick relish describing how they found each other: through a message left on a Swiss mountaintop.

Hong Kong hit by flooding after flurry of rainstorm warnings

Parts of Hong Kong were brought to a standstill by flooding caused by heavy rains on Tuesday, after the highest-tier rainstorm warning was issued for the fourth time in eight days.

Exceptional Nordic heatwave stumps tourists seeking shade

Nordic countries are relieved after battling an exceptional heatwave which shattered the hopes of foreigners seeking to cool off in the far north -- a disappointment meteorologists warn is likely to be repeated.

A 'Thinker' drowns in plastic garbage as UN treaty talks open

A replica of Auguste Rodin's famous sculpture "The Thinker" outside the United Nations headquarters was being slowly submerged in plastic rubbish Monday as countries gathered in a bid to finalise a global treaty on plastic pollution.

Pacific algae invade Algeria beaches, pushing humans and fish away

At a beach near Algiers, brown algae native to the Pacific Ocean cover the golden sand, posing a threat to ecosystems native to the area and their stench repelling swimmers at the peak of summer.

Beijing issues new storm warning after deadly floods

Beijing issued its highest alert for rainstorms on Monday, days after deadly deluges swept parts of the Chinese capital and triggered a rare apology from under-prepared officials.

17 heat records broken in Japan

Seventeen heat records were broken in Japan on Monday, the weather agency said, after the country sweltered through its hottest ever June and July.

Rwanda bees being wiped out by pesticides

The use of pesticides in East Africa, some sold by European firms despite being banned in the EU, is killing off bees in large numbers and threatening whole eco-systems, scientists say.

'Let's go fly a kite': Capturing wind for clean energy in Ireland

On Ireland's blustery western seaboard researchers are gleefully flying giant kites -- not for fun but in the hope of generating renewable electricity and sparking a "revolution" in wind energy.

Sand and dust storm sweeps across southern Peru

Strong winds from a South Pacific anticyclone triggered a massive sand and dust storm in southern Peru on Thursday, catching residents in coastal regions by surprise, authorities said.

Gas workers uncover 1,000-year-old mummy in Peru

A crew of workers accidentally discovered a mummy more than 1,000 years old while installing gas pipes in Peru's capital Lima, their employer and archaeologists said Thursday.

'Silent killer': the science of tracing climate deaths in heatwaves

A heatwave scorching Europe had barely subsided in early July when scientists published estimates that 2,300 people may have died across a dozen major cities during the extreme, climate-fuelled episode.

EU urged to act on forests' faltering absorption of carbon

The amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by European forests has reduced dramatically in recent years putting the EU's climate targets at risk, researchers said Wednesday, calling for urgent action to halt the decline.

Chinese sub discovers deepest-ever creatures 10 km undersea

A Chinese submersible has discovered thousands of worms and molluscs nearly 10 kilometres (six miles) below sea level in the Mariana Trench, the deepest colony of creatures ever observed, a study revealed on Wednesday.

Japan sees new record high temperature of 41.2C

Japan sweltered in a new record temperature of 41.2C on Wednesday, with the mercury also hitting 40C in the ancient capital of Kyoto for the first time since observations began.

Canada project reclaims 'foul' industrial area to contain floods

The spur to build Toronto's billion-dollar-plus flood prevention project dates back to a devastating hurricane in 1954, but planners say its urgency was reinforced by the recent tragic flooding in Texas.

Toxic Balkan wildfires ignite in poorly managed dumps

As blistering summer heat sweeps across the Balkans, poorly managed and illegal dumpsites are bursting into flames, sparking wildfires and smothering towns and cities with toxic smoke.

US pushes to revoke scientific ruling that underpins climate regulations

President Donald Trump's administration on Tuesday moved to reverse a foundational scientific determination that underpins the US government's authority to limit greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles and, more broadly, to combat climate change.

US to overturn foundational climate ruling on Tuesday

President Donald Trump's administration will on Tuesday move to reverse a foundational scientific determination that underpins the US government's ability to curb climate change, Environmental Protection Agency chief Lee Zeldin announced.

Fossil-fuel pledge in EU-Trump deal sparks climate fears

The EU is promising colossal new US fossil fuel purchases under its trade deal with President Donald Trump, raising concerns for the bloc's climate fight -- should the mammoth pledges come true.

French health experts speak out against bee-killing pesticide

French health experts and patient associations on Tuesday urged authorities to protect the public from a bee-killing pesticide, saying the chemical could also harm children and adults.

'Food on table' outweighs health risks for Philippine e-waste dismantlers

Dexter Barsigan has spent the past 13 years making a living with his bare hands and a pair of pliers, stripping scrapped laptops and air conditioners for metal he can sell to junk shops in the Philippines.

Turkey battles wildfires as heatwave grips Med

Firefighters battled blazes across Turkey on Monday as the country sweltered in a summer heatwave across much of the Mediterranean, with wildfires leading to at least 14 deaths in the country in the past week.

Berliner Boersenzeitung - Nature (English)