Zürcher Nachrichten

BRICS nations to denounce Trump tariffs

BRICS leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro from Sunday are expected to decry Donald Trump's hardline trade policies, but are struggling to bridge divides over crises roiling the Middle East.

'Frogging' takes off in Borneo's jungle

Dodging fire-ants, snakes and millions of nighttime creepy-crawlies, a group of trekkers advances through the humid Bornean rainforest, scanning with torches for some of the jungle's most unlikely stars: frogs.

Inter-American court says states must protect people from climate change

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled Thursday that countries belonging to the Organization of American States (OAS) have an obligation to take "all necessary measures" to protect populations from climate change.

Two dead as wildfires rage near Turkish resort of Izmir

An elderly man and a forestry worker died on Thursday in wildfires in Turkey, as firefighters battled high winds fanning two blazes in the western province of Izmir, lawmakers said.

Thousands evacuated as Greek, Turkish wildfires rage

A wildfire fanned by gale-force winds on the southern Greek island of Crete has forced the evacuation of thousands of residents and tourists, officials said Thursday.

Japan plans 'world first' deep-sea mineral extraction

Japan will from January attempt to extract rare earth minerals from the ocean floor in the deepest trial of its kind, the director of a government innovation programme said Thursday.

'Happy suffering': the Brazilian gold rush that spawned iconic pictures

Four decades after Brazilian photographer Sebastiao Salgado shot a human anthill of mud-spattered miners digging for gold in the middle of the Amazon, some of the "garimpeiros," now into their 70s, are still hoping to get lucky.

Facing climate change, Swiss trees get mist before they're missed

In a Swiss pine forest, the treetops are being sprayed with mist in a bid to discover the effect that drier or wetter air has on their ability to survive.

'Significant declines' in some species after deep-sea mining: research

Deep-sea mining could impact marine life stretching from the tiniest bottom dwellers to apex predators like swordfish and sharks, a major piece of industry-funded research found Thursday.

Drought-hit Morocco turns to desalination to save vegetable bounty

On the drought-stricken plains of Morocco's Chtouka region, cherry tomato farms stretch as far as the eye can see, clinging to life through a single, environmentally contentious lifeline: desalination.

Public or private? Funding debate splits reeling aid sector

As cuts by rich donors decimate aid budgets for the world's most vulnerable, private financing has been touted as the sector's saviour -- but not everyone is convinced.

Philippines biodiversity hotspot pushes back on mining

A nickel stockpile towers over farmer Moharen Tambiling's rice paddy in the Philippines' Palawan, evidence of a mining boom that locals hope a new moratorium will tame.

France expecting peak temperatures as heatwave hits Europe

Paris was on red alert for high temperatures on Tuesday, with the top of the Eiffel Tower shut, polluting traffic banned and speed restrictions in place as a searing heatwave gripped Europe.

'Every day I see land disappear': Suriname's battle to keep sea at bay

In the dead of night on a beach in Suriname's capital Paramaribo, a group of just-hatched baby sea turtles clamber out of their sandy nesting hole and race, flippers flailing, towards the sea.

Ambulances on stand-by as southern Europe heatwave intensifies

Authorities across Southern Europe urged people to seek shelter Sunday and protect the most vulnerable as punishing temperatures from Spain to Portugal, Italy and France climbed higher in the summer's first major heatwave.

Pakistan flash floods, heavy rain kill 45 in just days

Heavy rain and flash flooding across Pakistan have killed 45 people in just a few days since the start of the monsoon season, disaster management officials said Sunday.

Cold baths, climate shelters as Southern Europe heatwave intensifies

Authorities across Southern Europe urged people to seek shelter Sunday and protect the most vulnerable as punishing temperatures from Spain to Portugal, Italy and France climbed higher in the summer's first major heatwave.

Drilling for water in Venezuela's parched oil town

In Venezuela's oil capital of Maracaibo, a drilling frenzy has led to dozens of new wells -- but the valuable liquid being pumped out is just water, not petroleum.

Eel-eating Japan opposes EU call for more protection

Japan's agriculture minister said Friday the country would oppose any call by the European Union to add eels to an endangered species list that would limit trade in them.

Western Japan sees earliest end to rainy season on record

Japan's rainy season ended at the earliest date on record in the country's western regions, meteorologists said Friday, as climate change makes global weather patterns less predictable.

India investigates 'unnatural' death of five tigers

India has launched an investigation after an endangered tigress and her four cubs were found dead in a protected forest in the southern state of Karnataka, an official said Friday.

Bangladesh pushes solar to tackle energy woes

Bangladesh's caretaker leader has ordered all government institutions including ministry buildings and schools to install solar panels to ease chronic power problems in a country regularly hit by deadly heatwaves.

Italy chemical plant execs jailed for pollution

An Italian court on Thursday sentenced executives at a chemical plant to jail terms of up to 17 years for polluting water used by hundreds of thousands of people with PFAS, or "forever chemicals".

COP30 to be held in Amazonian city despite accommodation concerns: CEO

The COP30 climate conference will be held as planned in the Amazonian city of Belem in Brazil despite concerns about shortage of accomodation and exorbitant prices being charged by hotels and property owners, the event's CEO said on Thursday.

Verdict expected in Italy 'forever chemicals' trial

A verdict is expected Thursday in the trial of 15 managers of a chemical plant accused of knowingly contaminating the water of hundreds of thousands of people in Italy.

Environment fears over $6 bn Indonesia EV battery project: NGOs

Environmental groups raised concerns Thursday over a $6 billion Indonesian EV battery megaproject backed by Chinese giant CATL which is set to open on a once-pristine island, as Jakarta exploits its huge supply of nickel.

Nearly one-third of Pacific nation Tuvalu seeks Australian climate visa

Nearly one-third of citizens in Pacific nation Tuvalu are seeking a landmark climate visa to live in Australia as rising seas threaten their palm-fringed shores, official figures obtained by AFP show.

Judge orders Trump admin to release billions in EV charging funds

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to release billions allocated for the construction of electric vehicle charging stations in over a dozen US states.

Olympic surfing venue battling erosion threat

A surfer's paradise nestling in a Southern California state park that delivers consistent, high-quality waves, Trestles Beach was the logical choice to host surfing at the 2028 Olympics.

Beijing issues weather warning for hottest days of year

Beijing residents sought shade and cooled off in canals on Monday as authorities issued the second-highest heat warning for the Chinese capital on one of its hottest days of the year so far.

Mexican authorities rescue 3,400 trafficked baby turtles

Mexican authorities said Friday they had rescued over 3,400 protected baby turtles stuffed into cardboard boxes set to be trafficked.

EU plans to scrap anti-greenwashing rules after pushback

The European Commission said Friday it intends to scrap new rules against greenwashing after they hit a roadblock in the final stretch from conservative lawmakers calling them too onerous for businesses.

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