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Today

Flash floods kill at least 60 in Pakistan, hundreds still missing

Sudden floods and mudslides swept through Pakistan and the disputed region of Kashmir on Thursday, killing at least 60 people, injuring more than 100 and leaving 200 missing, as rescuers searched for survivors amid the debris.

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Invasive species thrive as Mediterranean Sea temperature hits record high

Rising sea temperatures are fuelling the rapid “tropicalisation” of the Mediterranean, with venomous Red Sea species like lionfish disrupting ecosystems from Turkey to Malta, scientists warn.

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Experts grapple with scale of plastic pollution in oceans

As 185 nations engage in talks on reaching a global treaty to curb plastic pollution, the increasingly unmanageable scale of plastic waste littering oceans and threatening the wildlife within them leaves experts concerned about the feasibility of an adeq

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'We have missed a historic opportunity': Plastic pollution treaty talks end in deadlock

High level negotiations between 185 countries over reaching a global agreement to combat plastic pollution ended on Friday, as rival blocs clashed over prioritising a phase out of the material or bettering waste management systems.

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Yesterday

Dozens killed, more than 200 missing after flash floods in Kashmir

At least 56 people died in Indian-administered Kashmir on Thursday after torrential rain triggered flash floods in India's second major deadly flooding disaster this month. Rescue teams struggled to reach the area as the region's weather department issue

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Spain arrests alleged arsonist as France sends planes to battle deadly wildfires

Spain was grappling on Thursday with one of its worst fire seasons in 20 years, with blazes fuelled by record heat forcing evacuations and prompting the country to seek help from European partners. France sent two Canadair water-bombing planes to help ta

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Spain: Deadly wildfires kill at least three people

In just a week, dozens of forest fires have burned through 60 000 hectares as record heatwaves, combined with strong winds and dry conditions, have ravaged the country. Wildfires have already devastated parts of Castilla y León, Extremadura, the Comuni

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Macron urges adoption of UN plastics treaty to address 'public health emergency'

French President Emmanuel Macron called on countries negotiating a UN treaty against plastic pollution in Geneva on Thursday to redouble their efforts, saying it was "our chance to turn the tide" against a "public health emergency". Tensions have arisen

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Trump eases commercial rocket launch regulations in win for Musk's SpaceX

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order easing regulations for the country's private space industry, including stripping away some environmental restrictions around rocket launches. The move, which was slammed by one environmenta

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Wednesday, august 13, 2025

Spain calls on European allies for help amid worsening wildfires

Spain is seeking assistance from its European neighbours to help contain the spread of wildfires as one of the longest heatwaves in the country's history entered its 10th day.

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Mermaid’s tears: How tiny plastic pellets are flooding the environment

Lentil-sized and toxic, industrial plastic pellets known as "nurdles" – or "mermaid's tears" – are the second-largest source of microplastic pollution worldwide, with hundreds of thousands of tonnes leaked into the environment each year. As UN negotiatio

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France: Jellyfish force French nuclear plant shutdown

⚡ A nuclear plant in northern France was temporarily shut down on Monday after a swarm of jellyfish clogged pumps used to cool the reactors. ☣️ The automatic shutdowns of four units "had no impact on the safety of the facilities, the safety of personn

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'Ariane 6 is a launcher for European sovereignty'

The Ariane 6 rocket on Wednesday blasted off carrying Europe's next generation satellite for warning against extreme weather events. As many European countries simmer in a deadly heatwave, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological

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Space: European satellite to step up monitoring of extreme weather

As many European countries simmer in a deadly heatwave, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) said its MetOp-SGA1 satellite will give "earlier warnings to help protect lives and property from extreme weath

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Five key things to know about Europe's worsening heatwaves

EU climate monitor Copernicus says Europe is the "fastest-warming continent on Earth" and notes that climate change is a significant factor contributing to the increasing frequency and intensity of the continent's heatwaves.

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At least 3 dead and thousands displaced as wildfires rage across southern Europe

Firefighters are battling several wildfires in Greece as a scorching heatwave wreaks havoc across southern Europe. In the past 24 hours alone, more than 152 new fires have broken out across Greece - and thousands of people have been evacuated. Around 4,

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Tuesday, august 12, 2025

Heatwaves and wildfires: Europe battered by the consequences of global warming

🧯 Europe battered by wildfires, more info below ⤵️ 🌡️ A blistering heatwave is currently gripping Europe, sending thermometers soaring to 43° C in France, 40 °C in Spain and 43°C in Greece. 🇪🇺 This trend is set to continue – Europe is warming twice a

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Wildfires in Spain kill one person as thousands forced to flee

A man has died from burns and thousands of people have been forced to flee as wildfires sweep through parts of Spain, fuelled by strong winds during a searing heatwave across Europe. Scientists warn that climate change is fuelling more frequent and inte

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Firefighters battle 'fire whirls' in northern Spain

Extreme heat and strong winds caused "fire whirls" as a blaze burned several houses and forced the evacuation of hundreds of people from near a UNESCO-listed national park in northern Spain, authorities said on Monday. About 800 people were told to aban

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At least four dead, over a hundred missing in Indian Himalayas

Dozens of people remain missing after heavy flash flooding and a mudslide devastated a village in northern India, killing at least four people, local officials said.

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Monday, august 11, 2025

Record-breaking heat sweeps Europe, fuelling the risk of wildfires

A heatwave swept through parts of Europe on Monday, breaking temperature records at weather stations in southern France and sparking wildfire risks while Bulgaria battled nearly 200 blazes. Scientists warn Europe is warming at nearly twice the global rat

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Jellyfish swarm forces France's largest nuclear plant to shut down

France's Gravelines nuclear power plant, the largest in Western Europe, was fully shut down on Monday after a "massive and unpredictable" swarm of jellyfish clogged its cooling system pumps, forcing four reactors offline, energy group EDF said.

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Italy, Spain, Greece, France... Wildfires break out across Southern Europe

Europe is facing another summer of wildfires, as the effects of man-made climate change continue to intensify on the continent. Fires are currently burning in Italy, Spain, and even Scotland – major blazes in France and Greece are now contained but autho

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Italy's Mount Vesuvius closed to tourists as wildfire rages

This Sunday has been devastating for countries in southern Europe facing violent fires. Massive resources - including firefighters and the army - were deployed in southern Italy to battle a blaze on the flanks of Mount Vesuvius near Naples. Story by Fran

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Europe is warming twice as fast as the rest of the globe

A blistering heatwave is currently gripping Europe, sending ending thermometers soaring to 43 degrees Celsius in France, 40 °C in Spain and 43°C in Greece. And this trend is set to continue – Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average, bringin

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Sunday, august 10, 2025

How can we adapt to the growing risk of wildfires?

Devastating wildfires are burning across the Mediterranean, the United States and Canada. Like numerous other extreme weather conditions or events, data suggests record breaking wildfires are becoming the new normal. How can our societies adapt to this g

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The Bright Side: Humble bugs are popular pets in nature-loving Japan

Bugs are fast becoming the pet of choice in Japan where they compete for the attentions of pet lovers who might once have settled for more conventional choices such as playful puppies, cute kittens or hamsters endlessly spinning on a wheel. Fueling the J

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Southern Europe battles heat-fuelled wildfires

Southern Europe is grappling with a series of devastating wildfires. Blazes have broken out in several countries, including Greece, Spain, and France, fuelled by scorching temperatures. Turkey has experienced its hottest July in 55 years, with a peak of

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Southern Europe suffocates in deadly heat-fuelled wildfires

Southern Europe is grappling with a series of devastating wildfires. At least 14 people have died in Turkey, extreme heat making conditions especially dangerous. Fires have also broken out in Greece, Spain and France. Scientists warn climate change is ma

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Saturday, august 9, 2025

Massive French wildfire 'contained' but unlikely to be under control until late Sunday

France’s biggest wildfire in decades has been contained, officials said Saturday, but warned that “until Sunday evening the fire will not be under control”. Hot winds and 40°C heat are threatening to reignite the blaze that has killed one person and torn

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Friday, august 8, 2025

The Bright Side: Abidjan landfill transformed into city parkland

Built on the site of a long-standing landfill area, Abidjan's soon-to-be-opened Akouedo Park is one of the world's latest efforts to turn harmful wasteland into community spaces.

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Thousands forced to evacuate ahead of California’s fast-spreading Canyon Fire

Thousands of people have been driven from their homes north of Los Angeles as a brush fire spread quickly across the mountainous area.

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France's huge wildfire is under control but will still burn for days, authorities say

A wildfire larger than Paris that killed one person and injured more than a dozen more will continue to burn for days even after being brought under control, French authorities said Friday. Around 2,000 firefighters are still working to extinguish the bl

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Thursday, august 7, 2025

France's largest wildfire in decades brought under control

France's largest wildfire in decades, which erupted on Tuesday in the southern Aude department, has been "brought under control", local authorities said late Thursday. The blaze, which officials linked to climate change and prolonged drought, killed one

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Researchers race to predict wildfire behaviour as France battles biggest blaze in decades

A fire that raged through France’s southern Aude region and devastated an area larger than Paris had been brought under control late Thursday, authorities said. As large-scale wildfires become a bigger threat due to climate change, researchers in France

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French wildfires reignite debate over vanishing 'fire break' vineyards

As wildfires rip through southern France's Aude region, winemakers and farmers are blaming their rapid spread on the loss of moisture-rich vineyards that once acted as natural firebreaks, sparking fresh calls to preserve them as climate change fuels incr

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France's top constitutional court rejects return of bee-killing pesticide

France's Constitutional Council on Thursday rejected a controversial measure that would have allowed the reintroduction of acetamiprid, a chemical banned since 2018 due to its harmful effects on pollinators and ecosystems. The "Duplomb law" drew public o

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'Wildfires in south of France becoming more widespread, challenging to manage over past 10-15 years'

France’s largest wildfire in decades continued to burn and spread Thursday, though at a slower pace, after having already ravaged more than 160 square kilometers (62 square miles) in the south of the country and claiming one life, local authorities said.

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'Plastic pollution really begins when we're making plastics and extracting oil, gas from the ground'

The 184 countries gathering to forge a landmark treaty on combating plastic pollution are seeking a way forward to tackle a global crisis wrecking ecosystems and trashing the oceans. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24's Eve Irvine

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France's biggest wildfire of the summer has eclipsed the size of Paris and is still spreading

France’s biggest wildfire in years was spreading quickly Wednesday in a Mediterranean region near Spain after leaving one person dead and several injured, authorities said. The fire burned an area larger than Paris, and the military was called in to help

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French firefighters struggle to contain biggest wildfire since 1949

France is grappling with its largest wildfire in nearly 80 years, with the three-day blaze still raging near the border with Spain. As of Thursday, at least one person has been killed and three more are missing.

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Third-hottest July on record worsens droughts, floods and fires

The world experienced its third-hottest July on record last month, the European climate monitoring service said Thursday, with parts of Asia and Scandinavia suffering record-high temperatures even as the global average dipped slightly.

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Deadly France wildfire grows past the size of Paris

France 24 journalist Carys Garland reports from southern France, where a deadly wildfire expanded to cover an area larger than Paris, with firefighters struggling to keep the blaze from spreading. French officials said the "unprecedented" scale of the fi

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Wednesday, august 6, 2025

Failing to tackle climate change will mean more wildfires ahead

France’s biggest wildfire this summer was spreading quickly in a Mediterranean region near the Spanish border after leaving one person dead, authorities said. The fire had burned an area larger than Paris. French Prime Minister François Bayrou deplored a

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Wildfire in southern France surpasses the size of Paris, continues to spread

France's biggest wildfire of the summer is still spreading after surpassing the size of Paris, authorities said on Wednesday, with Prime Minister François Bayrou calling it a "catastrophe on an unprecedented scale". The blaze has burned over 13,000 hecta

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Several dead, more than 50 missing after deadly Himalayan flash floods

The Indian army scoured a Himalayan village on Wednesday in an effort to find scores of missing people a day after flash floods killed at least four people and left many other trapped beneath debris. At least four people were killed and more than 50 are

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Tuesday, august 5, 2025

Rapidly spreading wildfire in southern France leaves one dead

A massive wildfire tore through 11,000 hectares of land in southern France on Tuesday, killing one person, leaving nine people injured and destroying homes, according to local authorities. Officials say the region’s growing vulnerability to wildfires is

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Plastic pollution inextricably linked with numerous 'public health crises'

Plastic pollution is so ubiquitous that microplastics have been found on the highest mountain peaks, in the deepest ocean trench and scattered throughout almost every part of the human body. Plastic pollution is so ubiquitous that microplastics have been

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East Asia Hit by Record-Breaking Torrential Rains and Mass Evacuations

Hong Kong broke rainfall records on Tuesday with 355.7 mm in a few hours, prompting a “black” rain alert until 5pm.

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A 'plastic-free future'? UN plastic pollution talks kick off in Geneva

UN-led negotiations kicked off Tuesday in Geneva to finalise a global treaty against plastic pollution, following a failed round in South Korea last year. Delegates hope to reach a deal despite sharp divides over production limits and chemical bans.

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Monday, august 4, 2025

‘Sami rights are at risk’: Reindeer herders, environmentalists oppose mine in Norway's Arctic

In Norway's far north, members of the Sami minority and environmental activists are trying to block the construction of a copper mine. While Norwegian authorities and the project’s Canadian owners promote it as a contributor to the green transition, crit

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Unexpected Nordic heatwave catches tourists off guard

Nordic countries are emerging from an unprecedented July heatwave that disrupted tourism and shattered local climate records. Temperatures soared above 30°C for weeks, the Finnish Meteorological Institute said in a statement on Monday.

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Plastic-clogged 'Thinker' sculpture highlights pollution crisis as UN treaty talks begin

A towering replica of Rodin's "The Thinker" will gradually be engulfed in plastic waste outside the UN headquarters Monday as global talks are set to begin to finalise the world's first treaty on plastic pollution. The installation aims to highlight the

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The Bright Side: Ireland's giant kite project aims to revolutionise wind energy

Researchers in Ireland are testing a giant kite that generates electricity by capturing the wind. The mobile, low-impact system could help power remote areas and revolutionise wind energy with fewer barriers than traditional turbines.

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Thursday, july 31, 2025

The Bright Side: Leopard seal love songs structured like nursery rhymes, study finds

Male leopard seals compose and sing their own songs to woo potential mating partners, scientists in Australia have found. The songs are structured much like nursery rhymes, making them easy to remember. "It kind of sounds like sound effects from an '80s

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Millions of evacuees return home as tsunami warnings lifted across Pacific

After an 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the eastern Russian coast sparked tsunami warnings throughout the Pacific, millions of evacuees were allowed to return home on Wednesday, with only one total death resulting from Tuesday's initial shock.

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Wednesday, july 30, 2025

Trump's abrupt reversal on climate policy a 'dreadful blow' to the battle against global warming

Under Donald Trump, the US has abruptly reversed course on climate policy, withdrawing from the Paris Agreement and rolling back key environmental regulations. This dramatic shift has weakened global climate cooperation and empowered polluting nations an

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US proposes revoking law regulating gas emissions

The Trump administration said on Tuesday it will rescind the long-standing finding that greenhouse gas emissions endanger human health, removing the legal foundation for all U.S. greenhouse gas regulations. If finalized, the repeal would end current limi

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Chile upgrades tsunami warning to highest level for most of its Pacific coast after quake

A massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia's far eastern Kamchatka peninsula triggered multiple tsunami warnings and evacuation orders across the Pacific on Wednesday. Read FRANCE 24's liveblog to see how the day's events unfolded.

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Trump administration pushes to reverse scientific ruling behind climate regulations

US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin on Tuesday proposed to revoke the 2009 Endangerment Finding, a seminal scientific recommendation in the government's ability to fight climate change, in a move Zeldin said would amount to the "l

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