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Regional temperature records broken across the world in 2025
Central Asia, the Sahel region and northern Europe experienced their hottest year on record in 2025, according to AFP analysis based on data from the European Copernicus programme.
China's BYD poised to overtake Tesla in 2025 EV sales
Growing Chinese auto giant BYD stands poised to officially surpass Tesla as the world's biggest electric vehicle company in annual sales.
Iraqis cover soil with clay to curb sandstorms
Deep in Iraq's southern desert, bulldozers and earthmovers spread layers of moist clay over sand dunes as part of a broader effort to fight increasingly frequent sandstorms.
'Make emitters responsible': Thailand's clean air activists
A finance specialist who struggled after running in smog and a doctor who fears for the health of his children are among the activists spearheading landmark air pollution legislation in Thailand despite political uncertainty.
Elusive wild cat feared extinct rediscovered in Thailand
An elusive wild cat long feared extinct in Thailand has been rediscovered three decades after the last recorded sighting, conservation authorities and an NGO said Friday.
Locals sound alarm as Bijagos Islands slowly swallowed by sea
Turquoise waves splash against the white sand beaches of the Bijagos archipelago, where locals fear rising sea levels will swallow their islands whole.
Beetles block mining of Europe's biggest rare earths deposit
As Europe seeks to curb its dependence on China for rare earths, plans to mine the continent's biggest deposit have hit a roadblock over fears that mining operations could harm endangered beetles, mosses and mushrooms.
Turkmenistan's battle against desert sand
Residents in the remote Turkmen village of Bokurdak have long depended on the Karakum Desert for their livelihoods, cultivating every square metre they can in a constant battle with nature.
Hydrogen plays part in global warming: study
Hydrogen has long been touted as a possible solution to the climate crisis, but it could also be a small part of the problem, a study warned on Wednesday.
'Extremely exciting': the ice cores that could help save glaciers
Dressed in an orange puffer jacket, Japanese scientist Yoshinori Iizuka stepped into a storage freezer to retrieve an ice core he hopes will help experts protect the world's disappearing glaciers.
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.
Nowhere to pray as logs choke flood-hit Indonesian mosque
Almost two weeks on from devastating floods, Muslim worshippers in Indonesia's Sumatra who gathered at their local mosque on Friday for prayers were blocked from entering by a huge pile of thousands of uprooted trees.
EU 2035 combustion-engine ban review: what's at stake
The European Commission is expected to announce on Tuesday measures relaxing a 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel car sales.
French forces use tear gas to clear protesters protecting condemned cows
Veterinarians arrived at a French farm Friday under police escort to slaughter a herd of cows suffering from a potentially deadly disease, an AFP reporter said, after police used tear gas to clear away angry protesters trying to protect the animals.
Swiss yodelling joins world cultural heritage list
Yodelling, the traditional singing of herders in the Swiss Alps, was recognised by the United Nations on Thursday as part of the world's cultural heritage.
Vietnam's capital chokes through week of toxic smog
Toxic smog has blanketed Vietnam's capital for more than a week, blotting out the skyline and leaving residents wheezing as Hanoi's air quality dipped to among the world's worst on Thursday.
Filipino typhoon survivors sue Shell over climate change
Survivors of a deadly 2021 typhoon in the Philippines have filed a lawsuit against British oil giant Shell, seeking financial compensation for climate-related devastation, three NGOs supporting them said Thursday.
Racing towards great white sharks in Australia
Sensible people might prefer to flee at torpedo speed from a great white shark, but there's one job in Australia that pays you to race towards the predators.
Japanese ivory trade attracts fresh global scrutiny
At his store in Tokyo's ritzy Ginza district, Hajime Sasaki displays a disparate array of wares, from chopsticks to Buddha statues -- including many made of ivory.
Save the Elephants founder Iain Douglas-Hamilton dies at 83
Scottish conservationist Iain Douglas-Hamilton, who pioneered new understandings of African elephants and made protecting the giant pachyderms a life-long passion, has died at the age of 83, his charity said Tuesday.
Fight over fossil fuels nixes key text of UN environment report
The UN on Tuesday unveiled its largest-ever scientific assessment on the dire state of the environment, but a crucial summary of its findings was torpedoed as nations feuded over fossil fuels.
US residents get free entry to national parks on Trump's birthday
US residents will be able to enter its national parks like the Grand Canyon and Yosemite for free on President Donald Trump's birthday in the latest move by his administration to elevate his profile.
UN slams world's 'apathy' in launching aid appeal for 2026
The United Nations on Monday hit out at global "apathy" over widespread suffering as it launched its 2026 appeal for humanitarian assistance, which is limited in scope as aid operations confront major funding cuts.
Will EU give ground on 2035 combustion-engine ban?
Europe's embattled auto industry and its backers are ramping up pressure on the EU to relax its planned 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel car sales -- hoping for a decision by year end.
Ghostwriters, polo shirts, and the fall of a landmark pesticide study
A flagship study that declared the weedkiller Roundup posed no serious health risks has been retracted with little fanfare, ending a 25-year saga that exposed how corporate interests can distort scientific research and influence government decision-making.
Tech tracking to tackle human-wildlife conflict in Zimbabwe
In the sun-scorched lands bordering Zimbabwe's largest wildlife sanctuary, Takesure Moyo pedals through his village each morning on a mission to help his community coexist with the elephants and predators that roam nearby.
Pandas and ping-pong: Macron to end China visit on lighter note
An ancient dam, pandas and ping-pong: French leader Emmanuel Macron concludes his fourth state visit to China on Friday, striking a more relaxed note after some tough discussions with his counterpart Xi Jinping the previous day on Ukraine and trade.
Study says African penguins starved en masse off South Africa
Endangered penguins living off South Africa's coast have likely starved en masse due to food shortages, a study said Friday, with some populations dropping by 95 percent in just eight years.
'No food': Indonesians scrounge for supplies after flood disaster
Under a scorching sun, Nur Apsyah waited in line with hundreds of others, hoping to secure some of the food aid in short supply in Indonesia's flood-hit Sumatra.
Tree branches to fleece jackets: Chemicals plant in Germany bets on biomass
Staring at a pile of freshly cut beechwood, forestry manager Johannes Brodowski wonders if he is looking at the future of Germany's chemicals industry.
Trump to scrap Biden's fuel-economy standards
President Donald Trump's administration is set to revoke tougher fuel-economy standards put in place by his predecessor Joe Biden, in a move it says will lower car prices, an official said Wednesday.