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France, EU take aim at Trump's assault on science, seek to lure US researchers

French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen took aim at Donald Trump's policies on science on Monday, as the European Union seeks to encourage disgruntled US researchers to relocate to Europe.

Spain's blackout highlights renewables' grid challenge

The cause of last week's massive power outage in Spain and Portugal remains unclear but it has shone a spotlight on solar and wind energy, which critics accuse of straining electricity grids.

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Planting trees in wrong places heats the planet: study

Planting trees in the wrong places can actually contribute to global warming, scientists said on Tuesday, but a new map identifies the best locations to regrow forests and cool the planet.

Indonesia hunts clues as study suggests Javan tiger may still exist

Indonesia is hunting for more clues that the extinct Javan tiger may still exist in the wild, a government official said Tuesday, after a new study suggested links between a DNA-tested hair and the big cat.

Sixteen bear cubs rescued from home in Laos

Sixteen undernourished Asiatic black bear cubs have been found in a home in Laos capital Vientiane by a conservation charity, the largest rescue of the year.

Rights court condemns Peru over one of world's most polluted towns

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights said Friday that Peru had violated residents' "right to live in a healthy environment" in an Andean mining town that is considered one of the most polluted places on earth.

'Good boy!' Dogs do understand us, says new study

Whether dogs truly understand the words we say -- as opposed to things like tone and context clues -- is a question that has long perplexed owners, and so far science hasn't been able to deliver clear answers.

UN warns against thirsty tech to solve water crisis

The world needs to better manage its freshwater resources but thirsty new technologies touted as solutions could lead to "serious problems" if left unchecked, a UN report warned Friday.

Global sea level jumped due to El Nino and climate change: NASA

Global average sea level rose by about 0.3 inches (0.76 centimeters) from 2022 to 2023 -- nearly four times the increase of the previous year -- NASA said Thursday, attributing the "significant jump" to a strong El Nino and a warming climate.

Climate change hits Washington's beloved cherry blossom festival

It is one of the prettier fixtures of spring in Washington: thousands of cherry trees bloom amid the city's stately monuments in a spectacle that draws more than a million visitors every year.

Climate urgency takes back seat in Senegal election

Surrounded by lush mangrove forests, Julien Arfang Diatta shows the flooded road leading to his village on Senegal's tiny island of Kailo.

Top French court studies fate of 'Europe's largest' hippo Jumbo

France's top administrative court is to decide if a three-tonne hippopotamus called Jumbo should be freed after decades working as "the largest hippo in Europe" for a family circus.

Biden admin unveils strict auto standards to speed electric shift

President Joe Biden's administration announced Wednesday revised pollution standards for cars and trucks meant to accelerate the US auto industry's shift to electric to mitigate climate change.

Vietnam farmers struggle for fresh water as drought brings salinisation

Every day, farmer Nguyen Hoai Thuong prays in vain for rain to fall on the cracked dry earth of her garden in Vietnam's Mekong Delta -- the country's "rice bowl" agricultural heartland.

European plastics industry 'in trouble' as market share falls

Europe's share of global plastics production has fallen while China's output now accounts for a third, an industry report showed Tuesday.

Climate activists disrupt Rome marathon

will Three activists from climate movement Last Generation briefly interrupted the Rome marathon on Sunday before police arrested them, the group said.

In Chile, a lawyer and his dog 'plog' to raise recycling awareness

It's still dark out, but Chilean lawyer Gonzalo Chiang and his dog Sam are already out jogging and collecting rubbish in Santiago's largest park.

Darwin's Galapagos island species, protected yet still at risk

Industrial fishing boats hover menacingly on the edges of Ecuador's Galapagos Marine Reserve, where schools of multicolored fish and hammerhead sharks frolic in the protected Pacific waters.

Thai tourist hotspot Chiang Mai tops world's most polluted cities

Thai tourist hotspot Chiang Mai was blanketed by hazy smog Friday, as residents and visitors to the usually picturesque northern city were left wheezing in the toxic air.

Turkish ministers in Baghdad talks ahead of Erdogan visit

A high-ranking Turkish delegation held talks in Baghdad on Thursday, discussing key security and energy issues ahead of an expected visit by Turkey's president, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said.

Rangers hunt endangered Indonesian tigers after deadly attacks

Indonesian rangers along with an animal whisperer are hunting multiple critically endangered Sumatran tigers after two villagers were recently killed in separate attacks that stoked local anger, officials said Thursday.

Paris 2024 hopes to be model for lower-carbon Olympics

This year's Paris Olympics will use renewable energy, serve lots of vegetarian meals and heavily restrict plastic bottles, but can an event involving so much construction and international travel ever be environmentally sustainable?

Adagio in sea: Coral larvae 'settle near sounds of healthy reefs'

Audio recordings of healthy reefs -- an underwater chorus of fish songs and crackles from snapping shrimp -- may help efforts to restore coral ecosystems harmed by climate and human impacts, scientists said Wednesday.

Giant redwoods thriving in the UK: experts

Endangered giant redwood trees are thriving in the UK but could also be significantly contributing to capturing carbon emissions, according to research published on Wednesday.

Musk visits Tesla's sabotage-hit German factory

Elon Musk travelled Wednesday to Tesla's factory near Berlin to lend his workers "support" after the plant was forced to halt production by a suspected arson attack on nearby power lines.

Water cuts add to frustrations ahead of S.Africa vote

Anger is mounting in some Johannesburg districts left without water for more than a week, fewer than three months before general elections marked by voter discontent with South Africa's failing infrastructure.

Smog and sick kids: Thai pupils endure air pollution

Hundreds of Thai children strain to sing the national anthem, reedy voices and fragile lungs competing against eight lanes of belching traffic next to their school's open atrium in central Bangkok.

Colombia's Caribbean jewel slowly sinking as sea waters rise

A skeleton lies exposed to the elements as turquoise Caribbean waters lap the shores near a shattered tomb -- a grisly reminder that the Colombian city of Cartagena is slowly being swallowed by the sea.

Poo bags and trackers: Nepal orders new Everest rules

Nepal has ordered Everest mountaineers to carry mandatory trackers after one of the deadliest seasons last year -- and remove their excrement using compostable bags similar to those used for dog waste.

Flying high: UK's modern-day green airship takes shape

Britain's innovative Airlander 10 airship could soon take to the skies to offer leisure passengers panoramic views and far less pollution than traditional aircraft, according to its manufacturer.

'It was an oasis': Mexico City frets about water

Agustin Garcia looks with dismay at the dry bed of the lake where he once fished for a living -- a symptom of the water problems facing Mexico and its capital, one of the world's biggest cities.

Greenpeace calls for high seas protected area in Galapagos

Greenpeace on Monday called for the creation of a high seas marine protected zone under a new UN treaty to secure a much wider area around Ecuador's famous Galapagos archipelago.

Youths having to grow up 'too quickly' amid climate fears: Thunberg

Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg said Monday that young people like her have had to grow up "too quickly" to resolve a climate crisis caused by previous generations.

Paris must have 'plan B' for open water swimming: Olympic champ Cunha

Brazilian swimmer Ana Marcela Cunha, the reigning Olympic open water champion, has called on organisers of this year's Paris Games to draw up a "plan B" in case events cannot be held in the Seine due to poor water quality.

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