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As Dubai hosts climate talks, its air pollution soars
Dubai's glitzy skyline was obscured by a blanket of smog rated as "unhealthy" on Sunday as thousands of delegates attended a COP28 conference dedicated to the harmful effects of air pollution.
Nations rally behind renewables at COP28 climate talks
More than 110 nations pledged to triple the world's renewable energy within seven years at UN climate talks Saturday as the United States pushed to slash methane emissions and boost nuclear capacity.
50 oil and gas companies pledge to cut operational emissions
Fifty oil and gas companies representing 40 percent of global production pledged to decarbonise their operations by 2050 at the UN's COP28 climate talks in Dubai on Saturday.
COP28: Calls for more nuclear and less 'destructive' methane
The United States led calls at UN climate talks Saturday for efforts to curb methane emissions but also pushed a deeply controversial drive to boost nuclear energy in efforts to curb global warming.
US leads call to triple nuclear power at COP28
More than 20 nations including the United States called for a tripling of nuclear energy to drive down emissions on Saturday as world leaders assembled for a second day at UN climate talks in Dubai.
Nuclear power has role to play, atomic energy head tells AFP at COP28
It would be a mistake to reject nuclear power because of problems at a handful of projects, Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said in an interview with AFP.
Over 110 countries support tripling renewables by 2030: EU chief
More than 110 countries want the COP28 climate negotiations to adopt a goal of tripling renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency by 2030, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Friday.
King Charles urges 'genuine' climate action at COP28
King Charles III told world leaders Friday that the UN's COP28 talks in Dubai must be a turning point in the fight against climate change, as tough negotiations over the fate of fossil fuels began.
India's Modi offers to host UN climate talks in 2028
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered Friday to host the UN's COP33 climate conference in 2028.
King Charles says COP28 must be climate 'turning point'
King Charles III told world leaders on Friday that the UN's COP28 climate talks in Dubai must be a "critical turning point" in the fight against climate change, with "genuine transformational action".
Horn of Africa floods displace more than two million
More than two million people across the Horn of Africa have been forced from their homes by torrential rains and floods, according to an AFP tally compiled Thursday from government and UN figures.
COP28 opens with 'historic' launch of loss and damage fund
Nearly 200 nations agreed Thursday to launch a fund to support countries hit by global warming, in a "historic" moment at the start of UN climate talks in the oil-rich UAE.
UAE COP28 chief says fossil fuels must be part of climate deal
The Emirati host of the UN climate conference said Thursday that fossil fuels must be part of any deal as the crucial negotiations on global warming opened in Dubai.
German govt loses key climate court case
The German government on Thursday lost a key climate case brought by environmental groups, in an embarrassing slap down the day before Chancellor Olaf Scholz was due to travel to the COP28 climate summit.
Global warming casts cloud over Winter Olympics future
As global warming and prohibitive costs threaten the long-term future of the Winter Olympics, organisers know they must soften their demands in order to retain a pool of potential hosts for the decades to come.
COP28 talks no place to boost fossil fuels says ex-UN climate boss
The UN's former climate chief said she was "giving up hope" that fossil fuel firms will be part of the solution to warming as pivotal COP28 talks start Thursday in oil-rich United Arab Emirates.
US vice president to talk climate, Gaza at Dubai summit
US Vice President Kamala Harris will attend the UN climate summit in Dubai and meet regional officials on the Israel-Hamas conflict, the White House said Wednesday, after US President Joe Biden faced pushback for not going.
Climate change worsened Chinese extreme heat and flooding event in 2020: study
Man-made global warming exacerbated an incident of extreme flooding and heat in eastern China in 2020, according to a study released Wednesday, which highlighted the need to prepare for increasingly intense episodes of such weather in the country.
UAE to pump CO2 into rock as carbon capture debate rages
High in remote mountains in the oil-rich United Arab Emirates, a new plant will soon take atmospheric CO2 and pump it into rock -- part of controversial attempts to target planet-heating emissions without abandoning fossil fuels.
COP28 puts out welcome mat to lobbyists
"All views are welcome. All views are needed," declared Sultan Al Jaber, president of the UN's COP28 and head of the Emirates state oil and gas company in the run-up to the climate talks in Dubai.
Virgin set for first long-haul flight with low-carbon fuel
British airline Virgin Atlantic on Tuesday operates the first transatlantic flight powered entirely by Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), but environmental groups criticised the event as "greenwashing".
A dozen dead in storm across Russia, Ukraine and Moldova
Hurricane force winds, snowfall and flooding that swept parts of southern Russia, Ukraine and Moldova left at least 13 people dead Monday and almost two million without power, authorities said.
US defends 'robust' COP28 team despite Biden snub
The White House said on Monday a "robust" US delegation would attend a key UN climate summit in Dubai despite the fact that President Joe Biden is planning to miss it.
Extreme rainfall increases exponentially with global warming: study
State-of-the-art climate models drastically underestimate how much extreme rainfall increases under global warming, according to a study published Monday that signals a future of more frequent catastrophic floods unless humanity curbs greenhouse emissions.
Disease stalks Somali district ravaged by floods
The floodwaters in the southwestern Somali district of Dolow may have started to recede -- for now -- but distraught families who have lost their homes, their livelihoods in the muddy deluge are now at risk of potentially fatal disease.
70 perish in Kenya flood 'emergency': Ruto
Seventy people have perished in widespread flooding in Kenya that has also driven tens of thousands of people from their homes, President William Ruto said on Saturday, describing it as an "emergency situation".
Three positive climate developments
While humanity's efforts to curb planet-warming emissions are nowhere near enough to avoid heating the world to catastrophic levels, tentative improvements show that progress is possible.
Oil firms face 'moment of truth' in climate crisis: IEA
Oil and gas firms will face a crucial choice at UN climate talks next week between contributing to the climate crisis or embracing the clean energy transition, the International Energy Agency said Thursday.
From drought to deluge: Kenyan villagers reel from floods
Days after floodwaters swallowed her home in eastern Kenya, Fatuma Hassan Gumo waded through thigh-deep murky water to collect her only remaining possessions -- floating utensils.
Climate conspiracy theories flourish ahead of COP28
Climate conspiracy theories are flourishing with lifestyle influencers joining in the misinformation war and scientists hounded on social media, researchers say, as pressure rises on leaders at the COP28 summit.
Maldives to battle rising seas by building fortress islands
Rising sea levels threaten to swamp the Maldives and the Indian Ocean archipelago is already out of drinking water, but the new president says he has scrapped plans to relocate citizens.
Earth to warm up to 2.9C even with current climate pledges: UN
Countries' greenhouse gas-cutting pledges put Earth on track for warming far beyond key limits, potentially up to a catastrophic 2.9 degrees Celsius this century, the UN said Monday, warning "we are out of road".