Environment

Forest fires in Indonesia are sending smoke and haze toward Singapore, threatening the city's upcoming Formula One Grand Prix. Race organisers are developing contingency plans as the regional haze raises concerns over air quality for drivers, teams and spectators at the major sporting event, which draws international attention each year.

The United States has revoked federal limits on climate pollution from power plants, removing restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector. The move, reported by Human Rights Watch, is drawing attention as a significant rollback of US climate policy, with critics likely to raise concerns about its impact on emissions goals and air quality.

A typhoon has struck Japan, with authorities issuing evacuation orders or advisories to nearly two million residents as the storm brought heavy rain and damaging winds. The BBC reports on the scale of the warning and emergency response. People are closely following the storm's path and any reports of casualties or damage.

The county where Donald Trump maintains his residence has imposed a temporary halt on new data center projects, citing environmental impact and rising electricity bills for residents. Local officials are weighing whether the facilities' energy demands outweigh their economic benefits, a debate playing out in communities across the country as data center construction accelerates.

New York and New Jersey have declared states of emergency as a powerful Nor'easter bears down on the region, forcing the cancellation of events and prompting officials to urge residents to stay off the roads. The storm is expected to bring heavy precipitation, strong winds and hazardous travel conditions, with authorities warning of possible power outages and coastal flooding across the two states.

Tropical Storm Gonzalo has formed in the Atlantic, becoming the newest named storm of the season, while Tropical Storm Fay continues to weaken. Fay is losing organization and is expected to fizzle out, forecasters say, while attention now turns to Gonzalo's track and intensity. The simultaneous storms underscore an active stretch of the Atlantic hurricane season.

A nor'easter is battering the US East Coast, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and coastal flooding to communities from the Mid-Atlantic through New England. Residents and officials are reporting power outages, travel disruptions and warnings to stay off the roads as the storm intensifies.

New research published in Science argues that a mega El Niño, with extreme and prolonged climate swings, triggered the end-Permian mass extinction around 252 million years ago, the deadliest extinction event in Earth's history. The study suggests these wild temperature and rainfall fluctuations stressed ecosystems beyond their ability to adapt, offering a new explanation for why the tropics and higher latitudes were hit so hard.

Donald Trump has hailed a US oil deal with Venezuela as the biggest in world history, but the Guardian reports the agreement faces serious legal and logistical obstacles, with doubts over whether it can be implemented at all. Critics are questioning its feasibility and the gap between the rhetoric and the practical realities of US-Venezuela energy relations.

An approaching East Coast storm has forced sports leagues and organisers across the region to postpone, relocate or cancel scheduled events. The Athletic reports the disruption is affecting competitions throughout the area as teams and venues adjust to severe weather expected to hit the coast.

Storm activity across the Pacific basin has intensified, with multiple hurricanes active at the same time and forecasters tracking their paths toward populated coastlines. The clustering of systems has drawn attention to unusually warm ocean waters and what it may signal for the rest of the season. Coastal communities are monitoring advisories closely.

Authorities in Japan have urged nearly two million people to evacuate as a powerful typhoon batters the country, bringing destructive winds and heavy rain. Emergency warnings have been issued across affected regions, with residents told to move to safety ahead of the storm's peak. The scale of the evacuation order reflects concerns about flooding, landslides and widespread damage.

Japan's Meteorological Agency issued record short-time heavy rain information and a linear rain band nowcast warning for Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Saga and Kumamoto prefectures in Kyushu. The alerts warn of extremely intense downpours that could cause landslides and flooding within hours. Residents are being urged to check evacuation information, and news outlets across Japan are reporting on the rapidly developing severe weather situation.

Island nations facing severe impacts from climate change say they are not giving up their fight for survival and for stronger global action. Rising seas, stronger storms and other climate threats continue to threaten low-lying states, but their leaders and communities remain committed to pressing for emissions cuts and international support.

Hurricane Polo has strengthened into a powerful Category 4 storm while churning off Mexico's Pacific coast. Forecasters are tracking its projected path as residents and authorities along the coastline monitor for possible impacts, including heavy rain, dangerous surf and wind. News outlets are publishing maps of the storm's forecast track as it moves through the region.

New attention is being drawn to 'forever chemicals' — PFAS compounds used in many disposable products such as food packaging and single-use items. These substances do not break down in the environment and can accumulate in the human body, raising concerns about long-term health risks including links to cancer, hormone disruption and immune problems. The report highlights growing calls for tighter regulation and safer alternatives.

A powerful nor'easter is forecast to move along the US East Coast, bringing heavy rainfall, coastal flooding and beach erosion to communities in its path. Meteorologists are warning residents in affected areas to prepare for deteriorating conditions as the storm strengthens offshore and pushes water and precipitation onshore over the coming days.

Small island nations facing existential threats from rising seas and climate change are pressing the international community for stronger action, declaring 'we're not giving up.' The widely syndicated AP story frames these states as the moral voice of global climate negotiations, highlighting their activism despite limited power. The coverage is being picked up by outlets across the United States.

News posts report that researchers have detected a direct radio signal from a planet outside our solar system for the first time. This would be a milestone in astronomy, as exoplanets are usually found indirectly rather than through direct radio emissions. Coverage so far is limited to a single headline, and posts do not identify the telescope team, the planet, or the signal's details, so the specifics and the scientific interpretation cannot be confirmed from the available evidence.

Germany has for the first time formally committed to phasing out fossil fuels, setting a target date of 2045. The pledge, reported by the Guardian, marks a significant step in the country's climate policy and signals a planned end to reliance on coal, oil and gas. Reaction online has been largely focused on the ambition of the timeline and what it means for Europe's largest economy.

Iraq has resumed oil trucking operations after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted tanker shipments, a key export route for its crude. Baghdad is relying on overland routes and its pipeline through Turkey to keep oil moving while the vital waterway remains shut. The move highlights how the closure is reshaping global energy flows.

A new Guardian documentary follows Max, a 14-year-old struggling with climate anxiety, as he writes letters to imprisoned climate activists to understand the human stories behind direct action. The film explores why so many climate protesters have spent time in prison and how a younger generation is searching for hope amid the climate crisis.

The European Union is advancing measures to restrict the energy and water consumption of data centres, a step aimed at limiting the environmental footprint of the fast-growing digital infrastructure sector. The proposal comes as data centre demand surges with the expansion of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, prompting debate over resource use versus digital growth.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a speech at the International Conference on "The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics", laying out India's position on environmental protection and climate change. The address has drawn significant public attention and is being widely discussed among viewers following India's climate policy and its role in global environmental debates.

Researchers at Harvard report detecting a radio signal coming directly from a planet outside our solar system. If confirmed, it would mark a rare observation of radio emission from an exoplanet, potentially pointing to magnetic interactions between the planet and its star. Details on which planet is involved and how strong the signal is have not yet been released, and astronomers await independent verification of the finding.

Energy costs and surging electricity demand from artificial intelligence are reshaping climate negotiations underway in New York. Delegates are weighing how to meet climate goals while power-hungry AI data centres drive up consumption, making affordability and grid capacity central issues alongside emissions targets.

US policy debate is turning to the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which restricts road construction on national forest land. Supporters of ending it argue that building roads would let crews respond to forest fires faster and allow hunters, anglers and wildlife managers better access to remote habitats. Critics have long warned that road construction degrades watersheds and critical wildlife habitat.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated an international conference titled 'The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics', attended by a live audience. The event focuses on global environmental challenges and climate dynamics, drawing significant public interest. Viewers are following the proceedings and the Prime Minister's remarks as the conference gets underway.

A major storm has struck the north-eastern United States, cutting power to around 100,000 people and flooding roads across the region. Emergency crews are working to restore electricity and deal with waterlogged streets as the storm continues, with further disruption possible if conditions worsen.

California has declared a state of emergency across the entire state ahead of a forecast strong El Niño, which is expected to bring heavy rain, flooding and severe storms. Officials are urging residents to prepare for possible evacuations and property damage, and the move is drawing widespread attention as communities brace for potentially dangerous winter weather.

A large battery storage facility is being built in Waltrop, Germany, at a cost of around 500 million euros. The plant will use 800 containers of lithium batteries to store up to 1,800 megawatt hours of electricity and deliver up to 900 megawatts of power. It is intended to feed surplus wind and solar energy into the grid when needed, supporting Germany's transition to renewable power.

Some television meteorologists are increasingly working climate change into their weather forecasts, linking daily conditions to longer-term warming trends. The effort, reported by CBC, has met resistance from parts of the audience who would rather forecasters stick to short-term weather. The debate highlights tensions over how broadcasters should communicate climate science to the public.

Weekend storms swept across parts of North America, bringing dangerous weather conditions documented in a series of photographs published by The Canadian Press. The images capture the damage and severe conditions as communities in the United States and Canada dealt with the aftermath of the weekend's turbulent weather.

An unmanned, hurricane-proof Saildrone vessel has begun a treacherous 22,000km journey around Antarctica, departing from Hobart in the name of climate science. The autonomous craft is designed to withstand extreme conditions while collecting ocean and climate data from one of the planet's harshest marine environments, drawing attention for the ambition of its circumnavigation.

A powerful nor'easter is bearing down on the East Coast of the United States, prompting residents and officials to prepare for severe weather. News outlets are providing live updates as the storm approaches, with coastal communities expected to face strong winds, heavy precipitation and possible flooding. People along the Eastern Seaboard are closely tracking forecasts and stocking up ahead of the storm's arrival.

Global energy analysis shows wind and solar power capacity and generation continuing to expand rapidly, yet fossil fuel use is rising at the same time rather than being displaced. Commentators note that growing overall energy demand means renewables are adding to supply instead of replacing coal, oil and gas, keeping emissions concerns alive despite record clean-energy investment.

A major storm is moving into the US north-east, bringing heavy rain and strong winds. Reports describe power outages affecting homes and flooded roads across the region as conditions worsen. Coverage so far focuses on the immediate impacts and warnings for residents to prepare for further disruption. The posts are mainly news headlines reporting the storm's arrival rather than personal accounts, so the full extent of damage or the number of people affected is not yet clear from what has been shared.

Two Pacific storms are prompting preparations on opposite sides of the basin. Hurricane Nolo is approaching Hawaii, while Hurricane Polo has strengthened into a powerful Category 4 storm threatening Mexico's Pacific coast. The trending term reflects coverage of officials and residents in both regions bracing for the storms, with concerns about coastal impacts, heavy rain and wind. The evidence consists of a single headline, so details about damage, evacuation orders or forecasts are not available from the posts.

Climate rallies are being planned across France following a record-breaking summer. Organisers and supporters are mobilising demonstrations in multiple cities to press for stronger climate action, with the extreme heat and weather of recent months expected to feature prominently in the movement's demands.

The US Energy Information Administration projects solar generation in Texas will surpass coal for the first time in 2026, marking a major shift in the state that leads the country in both wind and solar capacity growth. The forecast underscores how falling solar costs and rapid buildout are displacing coal-fired power in the ERCOT grid, accelerating the energy transition in one of the world's largest power markets.

A deadly flood in Nepal has renewed debate over climate justice, with Inside Climate News examining what fair support for the country should look like. Nepal contributes little to global greenhouse gas emissions yet suffers severe losses from climate-driven disasters, raising calls for wealthy nations to provide greater funding and accountability for adaptation and recovery efforts.

Serbia says it hopes to extend its gas supply agreement with Russia following a phone call between President Aleksandar Vucic and Vladimir Putin. The talks focused on continuing Russian gas deliveries, on which Serbia relies heavily for its energy needs. The discussions come as European countries reassess their dependence on Russian energy.

Officials in Emerald Isle, North Carolina, have closed Ocean Drive because of an active fire. Emergency crews are responding and residents and visitors are being urged to avoid the area while the situation develops. No details on injuries or damage have been released yet.

Japan's Meteorological Agency has issued a tornado advisory (No. 1) for Nagasaki Prefecture, prompting local weather disaster alerts. Okinawa Times is among outlets carrying the news. Residents are being urged to watch for sudden gusts, lightning and hail, and to seek sturdy shelter if conditions deteriorate.