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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.

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Canada's far north speeds up evacuations as fire nears main city

Residents of Yellowknife in Canada's far north raced Friday to evacuate ahead of a midday deadline as wildfires bear down on the remote city and other parts of the vast country.

Greenpeace slams Poland's new river protection law

Environmentalists on Friday slammed the passing of a controversial law in Poland on the revitalisation of the Oder river, which was hit by toxic algae growth last year that caused mass fish deaths.

Maui emergency manager resigns after wildfire warning criticism

The head of Maui's emergency management agency -- who said this week he did not regret the decision to not sound powerful warning sirens as a deadly wildfire ripped through the Hawaiian town of Lahaina -- resigned Thursday.

Thousands flee wildfire on Spain's Tenerife island

Firefighters struggled Thursday to control a huge wildfire on the Spanish holiday island of Tenerife that has forced the evacuation of thousands of people, local official said.

Big potential for green hydrogen in North Africa: report

By 2050 North Africa could become a leading exporter of green hydrogen with Europe its main market, according to a recent report projecting the future of an industry still in its infancy.

Hawaii officials say 'no regrets' about lack of wildfire sirens

Embattled officials in Hawaii who have been criticized for the lack of warnings as a deadly wildfire ripped through a town insisted Wednesday that sounding emergency sirens would not have saved lives.

New species of snake found in Peru named after Harrison Ford

Scientists working in Peru have named a new species of snake after Harrison Ford in honor of the "Indiana Jones" actor's support for conservation work.

Biden to visit Hawaii as first wildfire victims named

President Joe Biden will head to fire-ravaged Hawaii next week to meet with survivors and first responders still hunting for bodies, the White House said Wednesday, as the first victims of the horrific blaze were named.

High in the Andes, Lake Titicaca's water levels fall to historic lows

Pedro de la Cruz stands beside his stranded boat and supplicates his God, lifting his arms and praying anxiously for rain to replenish Lake Titicaca, the massive body of water at a breath-sapping altitude in the Andes on the border between Bolivia and Peru.

Italy's clam farmers fear blue crab 'invasion'

In the shallow waters of the Scardovari lagoon, fishermen catch clams for Italy's beloved spaghetti alle vongole, alongside mussels and oysters. But an invader risks putting them out of business.

Hawaii fire death toll hits 99, may double, warns governor

The death toll in Hawaii's wildfires rose to 99 and could double over the next 10 days, the state's governor said Monday, as emergency personnel painstakingly scoured the incinerated landscape for more human remains.

Montana court rules for young people in landmark US climate trial

In a landmark climate trial, a Montana court on Monday ruled in favor of a group of youths who accused the western US state of violating their rights to a clean environment.

50 pct chance 2023 will be warmest year on record: NOAA

There is a nearly 50 percent probability that 2023 will be the warmest year ever recorded and next year could be even hotter, US government climate experts said Monday.

Death toll from heavy rain in north India rises sharply to almost 50

At least 49 people were killed, nine of them in a temple collapse, and dozens more were feared missing after intense rains caused floods and landslides in India, officials said Monday.

Baghdad zoo animals suffer as mercury hits 50 degrees

A pair of Siberian tigers pant incessantly beside a pond at their zoo enclosure in the scorching summer heat of the Iraqi capital.

Hawaii fire death toll nears 100, and anger grows

The death toll in Hawaii from the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century was expected to cross the 100-mark Sunday, fueling criticism that government inaction contributed to the heavy loss of life.

Morocco breaks heat record

Temperatures in Morocco have for the first time on record topped 50 degrees Celsius (120 Fahrenheit), the North African country's meteorological service said Sunday amid a scorching heatwave.

A second life for Cuba's seaside swimming pools

When summer temperatures start to sizzle in Havana, in-the-know locals head not to the beach but to seaside pools built by wealthy Cuban families in the first half of the last century.

Full of life: Paris's Pere Lachaise cemetery goes greener

The Pere Lachaise in Paris, the most visited cemetery in the world thanks to celebrities buried there, is welcoming crowds back after years of Covid restrictions with a back-to-nature setting that helps them keep cool in the summer heat.

Death toll hits 80 as Hawaii starts probe into wildfire handling

Hawaii's chief legal officer said Friday she was opening a probe into the handling of devastating wildfires that killed at least 80 people in the state this week, as criticism grows of the official response.

Residents return to find homes in ruin from Hawaii fire

People who fled the ferocious wildfire that tore through a picturesque Hawaiian town began returning Friday to find their homes in ashes.

Key Spanish lagoon dries out due to drought, overexploitation

The largest permanent lagoon in drought-hit southern Spain's Donana natural park, home of one of Europe's largest wetlands, has completely dried out for the second summer in a row.

UN finishes removing oil from decaying Yemen tanker

The United Nations said Friday that it had successfully transferred more than one million barrels of oil from a dilapidated Yemeni tanker, removing the imminent risk of a spill.

Indonesia says capital pollution spike due to weather, vehicles

Indonesia's government on Friday blamed a pollution spike in traffic-clogged capital Jakarta on weather patterns and vehicle emissions after the city topped global rankings four days this week.

Hawaii fire death toll expected to rise 'very significantly': governor

The death toll from a terrifying wildfire that razed a historic Hawaiian town is expected to rise "very significantly", the state's governor said Thursday, with 36 people already known to have perished.

Rio Tinto to build largest solar plant in Canada's north

Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto announced on Thursday that it will begin construction of the largest solar power plant in northern Canada on the site of its Diavik diamond mine.

Major-winner Morikawa pledges $1,000 per birdie to Hawaii fire relief

Two-time major champion Collin Morikawa has pledged to donate $1,000 for every birdie he makes in the US PGA Tour's FedEx Cup playoffs to fire relief efforts in Hawaii.

Indonesia capital hit by major pollution spikes: monitor

Indonesian capital Jakarta has been the world's most polluted city on four days this week, according to air quality monitor IQAir, as authorities fail to grapple with a spike in toxic smog.

Fast-moving wildfire kills at least 6 as it razes Hawaiian town

A wildfire that turned a historic Hawaiian town to ashes killed at least six people, officials said Wednesday, with desperate residents jumping into the ocean in a bid to escape the fast-moving flames.

Pakistan climber cleanses K2 as shrine to fallen father

Gazing up from K2 Basecamp, Sajid Ali Sadpara sees Earth's second-highest mountain, his father's final resting place, and a blight of litter on the furthest reaches of the natural world.

Israel's pioneering use of water 'to the last drop'

In the scorching summer heat, an Israeli farmer tends to a dripline taking a mix of ground and recycled water to palm trees -- an approach honed for decades in the arid country and now drawing wide interest abroad.

At least 6 dead as wildfire razes Hawaiian town

At least six people have been killed in a wildfire that has razed a Hawaiian town, officials said Wednesday, as desperate residents jumped into the ocean in a bid to escape the fast-moving flames.

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