Environment

From battlefield to glampsite: the story of Saudi's Khaybar

A Saudi town best known for a fierce battle between the Prophet Mohammed and Jewish tribes is remodelling itself as an upscale tourist draw in line with the kingdom's rebranding efforts.. The chant "Khaybar, Khaybar, o Jews, the army of Mohammed will return" can still sometimes be heard at present-day anti-Israel demonstrations, drawing objections from groups such as the Anti-Defamation League, which says it "can be perceived as a threat of armed violence".

Sun, Dec 18, 2022 3 mins read

Environment

China set to offer compromise to save summit nature accord

China, which chairs a high-stakes UN biodiversity summit in Montreal, is due to present a long-awaited compromise text on Sunday in an attempt to seal the "peace pact with nature" that the planet sorely needs.. More than 10 days of fraught biodiversity negotiations look to be coming to a head as delegates prepare to wrangle over the compromise draft agreement.

Sat, Dec 17, 2022 3 mins read

Environment

'Be good ancestors,' youth activists tell ministers at UN nature talks

As the world's environment ministers try to thrash out a new deal for nature, youth activists gathered at a UN summit in Montreal are making it clear that actions taken today will affect generations to come.. Along the way, she realized that the best way was to make people aware of their own relationship with the environment.

Sat, Dec 17, 2022 2 mins read

Environment

Dam plans threatens China's migratory bird haven

Spooked by a historic drought, local authorities in China have renewed controversial plans to dam the country's biggest freshwater lake.. During the drought, the porpoises took refuge in the same channel the dam would cut off, a ranger from the Beijing Environmental Protection Prairie League, who has patrolled the lake for over a month, told AFP. Beijing-based Friends of Nature said the dam EIA failed to do a comprehensive evaluation of whether the porpoises' migration would be blocked.

Sat, Dec 17, 2022 3 mins read

Environment

What campaigners want to see in UN nature deal

As high-stakes UN biodiversity talks in Montreal draw to a close, delegates will be presented Sunday with a draft deal to safeguard the planet's ecosystems and species by 2030.. We protect biodiversity.

Sat, Dec 17, 2022 3 mins read

Environment

Clock ticking down on vital UN nature talks

Crucial UN talks aimed at sealing a "peace pact for nature" were entering their final stages Saturday, officially the last day the world's environment ministers are gathered in Montreal for the COP15 meeting.. "We cannot have on hand some tears for species but no real commitments at the end of this COP," French environment minister Christophe Bechu said Friday.

Sat, Dec 17, 2022 2 mins read

Environment

Germany cuts the ribbon on first LNG terminal

Germany on Saturday inaugurated its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, built in record time, as the country scrambles to adapt to life without Russian energy.. LNG terminals allow for the import by sea of natural gas which has been chilled and turned into a liquid to make it easier to transport.

Sat, Dec 17, 2022 3 mins read

Environment

Malaysia landslide death toll rises to 24

Rescue workers scoured muddy terrain for survivors and bodies on Saturday as the death toll from a landslide at an unauthorised campsite in Malaysia rose to 24, including seven children, authorities said.. Authorities said 61 people had been found safe or rescued.

Sat, Dec 17, 2022 1 mins read

Environment

Robot plant grows, wilts on fate of UN nature talks

It's not always easy to make sense of the complex environmental diplomacy taking place at a UN summit billed as humanity's last hope to save nature.. De Palma added they were in talks with North American museums to loan the artwork out after the UN summit concludes, and it will eventually return to Europe. 

Fri, Dec 16, 2022 2 mins read

Environment

At COP15, businesses urged to act for nature

Widely blamed for ravaging Earth's ecosystems, big businesses are nevertheless being turned to as key players in a deal to save nature at the COP15 biodiversity conference.. - Measuring biodiversity impact - At COP15, a grouping of 330 businesses called Business for Nature is pushing for a uniform framework for all corporations to report their impacts and exposure.

Fri, Dec 16, 2022 3 mins read