UN flags 127 major climate-warming methane plumes this year
Dubai, United Arab EmiratesReuters A United Nations-led effort to use space satellites to detect methane leaks from fossil fuel infrastructure has alerted governments to 127 major methane plumes across four continents since its launch at the start of this year. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, with 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide […]
Britain’s King Charles III urges rapid environmental repair in COP28 speech
Dubai, United Arab EmiratesReuters Britain’s King Charles III said on Friday the world was “dreadfully far off track” on addressing climate change and that the global economy would be in peril unless the environment was rapidly repaired. In an opening address to the COP28 UN climate summit, King Charles III told world leaders the dangers […]
Scores reported killed in Gaza as fighting shatters Israel-Hamas truce
Gaza Reuters Israel’s warplanes pounded Gaza on Friday after talks to extend a week-old truce with Hamas collapsed, sending wounded and dead Palestinians into hospitals and forcing hundreds to flee in the streets. Eastern areas of Khan Younis in southern Gaza came under intense bombardment as the deadline lapsed shortly after dawn, with columns of […]
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Gaza truce expires; Israel intercepts rocket, reports of fighting
Gaza/Tel Aviv, IsraelReuters A temporary truce between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas militants that was due to end at 7am on Friday has expired, with neither side announcing a deal to extend it. In the hour before the truce was set to end, Israel said it intercepted a rocket fired from Gaza and Hamas-affiliated media reported […]
UN peacekeepers try to stay safe amid Lebanon-Israel border flare-ups
Near Maroun al-Ras, Lebanon Reuters While trying to fulfil their mandate to keep the peace, UN soldiers deployed along Lebanon’s border with Israel during the worst hostilities there in nearly 20 years have another urgent concern: keeping their own forces safe. Since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza seven weeks ago, […]
Ukraine’s Zelenskiy calls for fortifications in key frontline areas
Reuters President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called for faster construction of fortifications in key sectors under pressure from Russian forces, particularly in eastern Ukraine, the focal point of Moscow’s advances 21 months into its invasion. Zelenskiy issued his appeal after touring Ukrainian positions in the north-east, one of several areas where Russian forces have been trying to […]
Most online hate targets women, says EU report
Gdansk, PolandReuters Women are the main targets of online hate, including abusive language, harassment and incitement to sexual violence, a European Union report said this week. This should encourage the EU and social media platforms to pay close attention to protected characteristics such as gender and ethnicity when moderating content, the EU’s Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) said in […]
Singapore, Zurich world’s most expensive cities – EIU
Hong Kong, ChinaReuters Singapore and Zurich tied for the world’s most expensive city this year, followed by Geneva, New York and Hong Kong, the Economist Intelligence Unit said on Thursday as it cautioned that the global cost-of-living crisis was not yet over. On average, prices have risen by 7.4 per cent year-on-year in local currency […]
Australia raises bushfire risks ahead of El Nino summer
Sydney, AustraliaReuters Australia faces an increased risk of bushfires during the approaching summer, authorities warned on Thursday, with the El Nino weather pattern expected to generate hotter and drier conditions across large swathes of the country. Three years of incessant rain has increased vegetation, but the intense heatwaves common during Australia’s December-February summer can quickly […]