'Black city': Polish port Gdansk chokes on coal dust
Iwona Wozniewska's family has lived next to the Polish port of Gdansk for decades.. "I've lived here for more than 40 years... it's never been as dire as it is now.
Environment
Philippines on alert as volcano spews ash
Philippine scientists said that a "hazardous eruption" of a volcano in the archipelago could be days or weeks away, and urged the evacuation of nearby residents from their homes.. There are "increased chances of lava flows and hazardous PDCs... and of potential explosive activity within weeks or even days", the agency said, raising the alert level from two to three on a scale of zero to five.
Brazil delays key Indigenous land rights trial
Brazil's Supreme Court on Wednesday postponed a critical trial over Indigenous ancestral land rights as demonstrators protested in the capital. . Indigenous rights activists argue the constitution mentions no such time limit, and that native inhabitants have often been forced from their ancestral lands.
Brazilian Amazon deforestation falls 31% under Lula
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell by 31 percent in the first five months of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's administration versus the same period last year, officials said Wednesday.. Under Bolsonaro, an ally of Brazil's powerful agribusiness sector, average annual deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon increased by more than 75 percent versus the previous decade.
Canada wildfires shroud New York in apocalyptic haze
Smoke from Canadian wildfires shrouded New York in an apocalyptic smog Wednesday as cities along the US East Coast issued air quality alerts and thousands evacuated their homes in Canada.. "At home we closed our windows and put our air filters on," she told AFP. Organizers canceled the opening night of a concert series in Brooklyn set to feature Corinne Bailey Rae on Wednesday due to the poor air quality.
Vaquitas still exist, but barely: sea 'panda' survey
The vaquita, a small porpoise on the verge of extinction, is still hanging in there, said scientists Wednesday who had spotted about a dozen specimens of Mexico's "panda of the sea" on an expedition in May. . Scientists conducting a survey of the vaquita's endemic range in the Gulf of California off Mexico's north coast -- spotted between 10 and 13 of the porpoises last month, they reported Wednesday.
Canada's Quebec expects thousands more to flee wildfires
Canada's Quebec province, now the epicenter of a devastating wildfire season that has ravaged the country, expects thousands more people to be forced to flee advancing fires, its leader said Wednesday.. The French-speaking Canadian province has recorded 438 wildfires since the beginning of the year, more than double the average over the past decade for the same period.
Hawaii volcano erupts again
One of the world's most active volcanoes has erupted again, with lava spewing from Kilauea in Hawaii on Wednesday.. Kilauea is one of six active volcanoes on the Hawaiian islands.
Oceans warmer last month than any May on record
Global oceans were warmer last month than any other May in records stretching back to the 19th century, the European Union's climate monitoring unit reported Wednesday.. Temperatures over the ocean could be further boosted in coming months "as we are seeing the El Nino signal continuing to emerge in the equatorial Pacific," she said in a statement, referring to a periodic, natural shift in ocean winds that enhances warming globally.
Norway rescues Russian by helicopter near North Pole
Norway has rescued a Russian in need of emergency medical assistance on board a scientific vessel stuck in ice near the North Pole in a spectacular helicopter operation, its rescue services said Wednesday.. The Norwegian helicopter filled its tanks in northern Svalbard, where fuel is stocked for such extreme missions in the Arctic, and the 83-metre Severny Polyus, which is stuck in the ice in connection with a scientific expedition, then resupplied it with more fuel for the return journey.
