The Prague Post

Mont Blanc nearly two metres taller than in 2023: French surveyors

France's tallest mountain was nearly two metres higher last month than its last reported measurement in 2023, surveyors said Wednesday, putting the Alpine peak at 4,807.47 metres (15,772.5 feet).

Fuel shortage triggers queues on resort island Bali

Moldovan tourist Raisa Neagu spent hours on Wednesday waiting to fuel up her scooter, one of many people snared in a petrol shortage on resort island Bali that authorities blamed on supply disruptions.

Indonesia haze spikes Singapore pollution, shuts East Timor schools

Air pollution in part of Singapore hit the country's "very high" band on Wednesday, while East Timor shut schools, as haze from forest fires raging in Indonesia causes a regional crisis.

Deluge by design: Thai villages flooded to protect capital

Stilt houses in villages north of Bangkok are no longer high enough to stay dry as Thai authorities deliberately flood riverside communities to spare the capital.

Ivan Deforge, the French 'bison tamer' in Moscow

"Go!" shouted Ivan Deforge, and without hesitation his 300-kilo hairy sidekicks Karym and Ural leapt through a ring of fire under the dome of the Great Moscow Circus.

Malaysia's Firefly extends flight cancellations due to haze

Malaysian low-cost carrier Firefly extended cancellations of flights between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore until Wednesday, the airline said, as haze from fires in neighbouring Indonesia chokes air quality in the region.

Super El Nino could make 2026 record hottest year: climate monitor

An intensifying El Nino pattern set an all-time temperature high in a key Pacific zone in September and could help make this year the hottest globally on record, the director of the EU's climate monitor said Monday.

Nepal rescuers search for missing after flash flood

Nepali rescuers searched for five missing people on Monday, a day after devastating flash floods swept away more than 200 houses and five bridges along the Budhi Gandaki river.

Policymakers take on energy shock, rising debt at IMF-World Bank meetings

Finance ministers and central bankers meet in Bangkok this week for the annual gatherings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, with the global economy buffeted between the US-Iran war's energy shock, rising debt pressures and the AI boom.

Russell goes fastest in practice for smoggy Singapore GP

George Russell in a Mercedes topped the timesheets Friday in the only practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix at a Marina Bay Circuit enveloped in smoky haze caused by fires in Indonesia.

'Tough to stay here': Nepal flood survivors wait for homes

Every day, Shanti Dangol stares down at Nepal's Trishuli River from her makeshift shelter, searching for traces of the home she lost and wondering when she will have a roof over her head again.

Malaysia closes schools in capital, parts of country due to haze

Malaysia closed schools in Kuala Lumpur and other parts of the country on Friday, as haze from fires in neighbouring Indonesia again plunged local air quality to among the world's worst.

Climate hopes shift from politics to the courts

The political fight against global warming may be losing steam, but the legal battle is heating up.

Seals and sea lions get hearing tested at Australia zoo

Scientists in Australia trained sea lions and seals to respond to a hearing test for research into how the marine mammals are affected by human-made noise.

Nearly 300,000 Nepalis at flood risk: study

More than 1,400 people were killed and 5,000 remain missing after catastrophic floods hit Nepal in August -- and a new study Thursday warned nearly 300,000 people face similar risks.

EU okay for winter despite 'historically low' gas stocks: operators

The European Union is capable of meeting demand for gas this winter but its reserves are at "historically low" levels and will need to be monitored, the ENTSOG operators' association said Thursday.

Fossil fuels off COP31 agenda as global output keeps rising

Nearly 200 nations pledged to transition away from fossil fuels in a landmark agreement at the UN climate summit in Dubai in 2023.

Haze not 'a threat' to Singapore F1 race: organisers

Motorsport's governing body said transboundary haze from Indonesian fires, which pushed air pollution in Singapore into unhealthy levels on Thursday, did not "represent a threat" to this weekend's Formula 1 race in the city-state.

COP31 organisers say to seek 'ambitious' action with their text

Organisers of an upcoming UN climate summit in Turkey said Thursday they would prepare a summary text for countries to adopt, as they lead a push for "ambitious" action on keeping the goal of global temperature rise of 1.5 C within reach.

French wine harvest set to hit historic low

With its wine industry hit by a swathe of summer heatwaves, France is set to see this year's harvest hit a historic low.

'It's personal': Fiji minister pushes better climate finance at pre-COP

Fiji's climate change minister wants streamlined access to financial assistance for Pacific nations, telling AFP on Wednesday the issue was "personal", with waves washing away parts of her own village.

Indonesian court hears 'negligence' complaint against state over fires, haze

Indonesia's government was accused of "gross negligence" in a court case that opened on Wednesday against the president and other officials over a toxic haze emitted by wildfires that blanketed parts of Borneo island.

Bangladesh nuclear plant draws hope -- and worry

Bangladesh is preparing to switch on its first nuclear power plant, a long-delayed project promising relief from chronic electricity shortages -- even as some fear living beside it.

Climate champion Australia digging more coal

Australia's coal mines are expanding as exports boom, awkward timing for a nation preparing to champion clean energy as lead negotiator for the UN's climate summit.

Leaders visit Pacific's Tuvalu on frontline of climate change

More than a dozen leaders visited the tiny Pacific nation of Tuvalu on Tuesday for a brief look at a once-vibrant ecosystem wiped out due to climate change.

Tuvalu govt adviser says Australia overstepped in pre-COP visit

A Tuvalu government adviser told AFP on Tuesday it felt like Australia had "taken over" the country's sovereignty during a visit by leaders to the Pacific atoll.

COP31 eyes modest steps as climate disasters multiply

Nations reeling from a year of climate devastation gather for COP31 next month but negotiations are not expected to deliver major progress in cutting the fossil fuels driving the crisis.

Young Canadians sue government over alleged climate failures

When a wildfire threatened her northern Canada home three years ago, Kira Young packed what she could and fled.

US Supreme Court considers bid to shut the door on climate suits

The US Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a crunch climate case, with justices wrestling over whether it followed the well-worn path of corporate accountability lawsuits or was instead a backdoor attempt to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

US Supreme Court judges mull bid to shut the door on climate suits