Wildfires blaze across sweltering southwest Europe

Madrid, July 15 (AFP/APP): Southwest Europe baked under sweltering temperatures on Friday for a fifth day, with the heat sparking devastating wildfires, forcing the evacuations of thousands and ruining holidays. Armies of firefighters battled blazes in France, Portugal and Spain as Britain braced for “extreme […]

Southwest Europe swelters as wildfires burn

Madrid, July 15 (AFP/APP): Thousands of firefighters on Friday battled wildfires in France, Portugal and Spain in the face of scorching heatwaves as Britain braced for “extreme” heat in the coming days. Swathes of southwest Europe are enduring their second heatwave in weeks as scientists […]

Qatari children help give endangered turtles second chance

Doha, July 9 (AFP/APP): On a beach in northeastern Qatar, six-year-old Lolwa waves goodbye to two baby hawksbill turtles — a species that has a one in a thousand chance of surviving to adulthood. Predators, climate change, fishing nets and marine pollution all contributed to […]

UN warns intersecting global crises threaten SDGs, urges rescue efforts

UNITED NATIONS, Jul 08 (APP):The climate crisis, the coronavirus pandemic and an increased number of conflicts around the world have placed in jeopardy the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are aimed at ending poverty and protecting the planet, according to a new United Nations […]

Global effort to police ‘greenwashing’ begins to take shape

Paris, July 8 (AFP/APP):Companies have been calculating their carbon footprints since the early 2000s and just over one in three of the world’s 2,000 largest public corporations have now set goals to become carbon neutral or emissions-free by mid-century or sooner. Even Saudi Aramco — […]

Italy declares drought emergency in 5 northern regions

Rome, July 4 (AFP/APP): Italy declared a state of emergency in five northern regions and announced emergency funds on Monday over a worsening drought that has plagued the Po Valley in recent weeks. The cabinet approved a state of emergency in five regions — Friuli-Romagna, […]

Weathering sandstorms, Iraqis grit teeth and battle on

Baghdad, July 4 (AFP/APP): Another sandstorm has darkened Iraqi skies and it’s hard to breathe, but Baghdad motorcycle delivery rider Milad Mitti doesn’t have the luxury of missing a day’s work. Like most people in the now blistering hot desert country, the 30-year-old battles on […]

Why climate change matters for human health

ISLAMABAD, July 02 (ONLINE): The consensus among scientists is that we are in an era of global heating and extreme weather events, primarily due to the devastating effects of human action on the environment. Why are researchers concerned and what are the implications for health? […]

Dire state of oceans draws tide of pledges as UN Ocean Conference ends

LISBON, Jul 01 (APP):The five-day UN Ocean Conference ended Friday, with more than 150 countries, including Pakistan, collectively agreeing to scale up science-based and innovative actions to address the ocean emergency. The agreement, together with bold commitments from all sectors of society — youth, civil […]