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Shrinking Caspian Sea worries secretive Turkmenistan
On the Caspian Sea coast in Turkmenistan -- one of the world's most secretive states -- Batyr Yusupov can no longer ferry his passengers between two ports. There is not enough water.
Ski prices rise but skiers keep coming, for now
In the heart of the Austrian Alps, workers at the world's leading ski maker churn out pair after pair for international clients who are undeterred by the sport's snowballing costs.
On yer bike: London firms turn to cargo bikes
On a busy north London street, plumber Ben Hume-Wright zipped through the heavy rush-hour traffic to his next job by bike.
Migration, mega-fines and Barbie: 2023 in records
Sizzling temperatures, millions fleeing their homes, multitudes flocking to a movie about a doll -- 2023 was another year of extremes.
Drones help solve forest carbon capture riddle
On a hillside overlooking cabbage fields outside the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, a drone's rotors begin to whir, lifting it over a patch of forest.
Japan, ASEAN to boost security ties with eye on China
Southeast Asian and Japanese leaders will agree to boost "maritime security cooperation", according to a draft statement seen by AFP from a summit that kicked off Saturday against the backdrop of growing tensions in the South China Sea.
UK's iconic King's College Chapel gets controversial solar makeover
High above the historic streets of Cambridge in eastern England, the installation of solar panels atop King's College Chapel, the world-famous university's most recognisable landmark, has stirred excitement -- and controversy.
Coal use hits record in 2023, Earth's hottest year
Global consumption of coal reached an all-time high in 2023, the IEA energy watchdog said Friday, as Earth experienced its hottest recorded year.
Countries risk 'paying polluters' billions to regulate for climate: UN expert
An "explosion" of multibillion-dollar claims by fossil fuel and extractive firms through shadowy investment tribunals is blocking action on climate and nature, the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights and Environment has warned, with developing nations increasingly targeted.
Climate deal won't have immediate impact on Gulf oil
An agreement to "transition away" from fossil fuels may be a landmark moment but don't expect quick changes among the major producers of the Gulf, where the deal was hammered out.
'Where is the money?' COP28 deal throws spotlight on funding
After COP28's landmark call for the world to move away from fossil fuels, experts say the pressure is on to fast-track -- and fund -- the global energy transition.
Dubai summit adopts world-first 'transition' from fossil fuels
Nearly 200 nations meeting in Dubai on Wednesday approved a first-ever call for the world to transition away from fossil fuels, the top culprit of climate change behind a planetary crisis.
Cyclone Jasper makes landfall in Australia
Tropical Cyclone Jasper hit northeast Australia Wednesday, leaving thousands of people in coastal communities without power and preparing for potentially "life-threatening" floods.
UN draft deal calls for 'transitioning away' from fossil fuels
A draft UN climate deal called Wednesday for the world to transition away from fossil fuels, in a last-ditch bid to break a deadlock between nations seeking a phase-out from oil, gas and coal and Saudi-led crude producers.
Climate negotiators eye fossil fuel compromise in marathon talks
UN climate talks went deep into overtime Wednesday with another night of negotiations aimed at breaking a deadlock between nations pushing for a historic phase-out of fossil fuels and Saudi-led oil producers.
Warmest Arctic summer caused by accelerating climate change
Summer surface air temperatures in 2023 were the warmest ever observed in the Arctic as a result of accelerating human-caused climate change, an official report card published Tuesday said.
UAE to try again for climate deal after fury on fossil fuels
The United Arab Emirates promised Tuesday to try again to strike a deal as the Dubai climate summit passed their deadline, with at-risk nations and Western powers rejecting a proposal that stopped short of phasing out fossil fuels.
UN climate summit runs overtime as fury mounts on fossil fuels
The world's climate negotiators on Tuesday haggled beyond 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.
Climate summit narrows ambition on fossil fuels, alarming greens
The Emirati head of COP28 climate talks on Monday proposed a compromise on the future of fossil fuels, endorsing a major reduction but not calling for their phase-out, in an 11th-hour bid for consensus that outraged environmentalists who hoped for a historic turning point.
'Race against time': Climate talks in last push to end 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.
'Not a minute to lose': Clock ticks on fossil fuel deal at climate summit
The UN climate chief on Monday urged an end to obstruction a day before the deadline for a deal at a summit in Dubai, with oil producers resisting historic calls for the world to wind down fossil fuels.
UN climate talks home in on fossil fuel deal
UN climate talks enter their endgame on Monday as negotiators seek to convince an increasingly isolated Saudi Arabia and other holdouts to give up their opposition to a historic phase-out of fossil fuels.
Saudis, Iraq stand firm as COP28 targets fossil fuels
Saudi Arabia and Iraq stood their ground at UN climate talks on Sunday as pressure mounted for nations to agree on a phase-out of fossil fuels at COP28 in Dubai.
'Time to deliver': pressure grows for climate deal in Dubai
The president of the UN's COP28 climate talks urged negotiators to compromise on Sunday, warning "failure is not an option" as efforts to reach a deal on phasing out fossil fuels met resistance from top oil exporter Saudi Arabia.
'Urgency of action': pressure grows for COP28 climate deal
UN climate talks negotiators were under growing pressure on Sunday as the deadline nears to strike a new global deal aimed at keeping global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights turns 75
On December 10, 1948, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the hope of creating a better world after the horrors of World War II.
Deforestation hits record low in Brazilian Amazon in November
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon hit a record low for the month of November, according to figures released Friday, as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government touted its environmental record at the UN climate talks.
UN talks look for deal on winding down fossil fuels
Negotiators were searching for a compromise on phasing out fossil fuels at UN climate talks Friday as momentum gathered to strike an historic deal in Dubai.
UN climate talks chief pushes for rapid deal
The head of UN climate talks pressed nations Friday to move fast to deliver an "unprecedented" pact on tackling global warming, as negotiators scrambled to bridge differences over phasing out fossil fuels.
UN climate talks chief pushes for rapid draft deal
The head of the UN climate summit pressed nations Friday to strike a deal as talks resumed after a break, with only four days left for negotiators to iron out differences over the fate of fossil fuels.
To the moo-n: cow dung fuels Japan's space ambitions
Japan's space industry opened potentially an udder-ly new chapter on Thursday with a start-up testing a prototype rocket engine that runs on fuel derived purely from a plentiful local source: cow dung.
Insured disaster losses to again top $100 bn: Swiss Re
Insured losses from natural catastrophes will pass the $100-billion threshold for the fourth year running in 2023, reinsurance giant Swiss Re said Thursday.