Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — AFP Saudi Arabian authorities shuttered schools in several regions as flash floods inundated roads, the latest instance of heavy rains disrupting life in the desert Gulf. AFPTV footage showed partially submerged cars struggling to drive through standing water in the central region of Qassim, one of the areas hit ha...
Turin, Italy – AFP G7 environment ministers gathered in Turin on Monday for two days of talks, as the UN warned “excuses” for failing to take bold actions on climate change were “not acceptable”. The Group of Seven meeting in the northern Italian city is the first big political session since the world pledged at [...
Hissar, Tajikistan — AFP In the hills outside the Tajik capital Dushanbe, shepherd Bakhtior Sharipov was watching over his flock of giant Hissar sheep. The breed, prized for profitability and an ability to adapt to climate change, garners celebrity status in the Central Asian country, which is beset by a shortage of both meat and [&helli...
Edinburgh, United Kingdom – AFP Humza Yousaf announced his resignation as Scotland’s first minister on Monday, before he was due to face two confidence votes this week sparked by his ditching of junior coalition partners in a row over climate policy. The 39-year-old quit following a turbulent year as head of the devolved administra...
Dhaka, Bangladesh — AFP Thousands of Bangladeshis gathered to pray for rain in the middle of an extreme heatwave that prompted authorities to shut down schools around the country. Extensive scientific research has found climate change is causing heat waves to become longer, more frequent and more intense. Bangladesh’s weather burea...
Dakar, Senegal – – AFP The deadly heatwave that hit Africa’s Sahel region in early April would not have occurred without human-induced climate change, according to a study by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group. The West African nations of Mali and Burkina Faso experienced an exceptional heatwave from April 1 until Apri...
Stockholm, Sweden — AFP Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has led some 500 people in a march in Stockholm to demand politicians do more to address the issue of climate change. Demonstrators of all ages braved chilly spring temperatures of 3C (37F), wearing parkas and woolly bonnets and chanting “International solidarity! We o...
New York, United States – AFP 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. The rules set ambitious emission reductions for 2032 but are moderated somewhat compared with prelimina...
Geneva, Switzerland – AFP Global heat records were “smashed” last year, the UN confirmed Tuesday, with 2023 rounding out the hottest decade on record, as heatwaves stalked oceans and glaciers suffered record ice loss. Global heat records were “smashed” last year, the UN confirmed Tuesday, with 2023 rounding out th...
Copenhagen, Denmark – AFP Europe could suffer “catastrophic” consequences from climate change if it fails to take urgent and decisive action to adapt to risks, a new EU analysis warned Monday. Areas in southern Europe are most at risk, the European Environment Agency (EEA) said in its first report on the risks the continent f...
