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Nepal hikes Everest climbing fee by a third

Nepal has hiked the cost of an Everest climbing permit by a third, arguing it will help tackle pollution and boost safety on the world's highest mountain, the tourism chief said Tuesday.

Biathlon great Fourcade refuses to 'sacrifice convictions' for 2030 Olympics presidency

French biathlon great Martin Fourcade said Monday he would "not sacrifice his convictions" as he spurned the presidency of the 2030 Winter Olympics.

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Spain swelters in latest searing heatwave

Spain was sweating Sunday as its latest summer heatwave took hold, the fourth of the season, with the mercury soaring notably in the northeast and the south of the country.

Hilary weakens to tropical storm heading for California

Hurricane Hilary weakened to a tropical storm Sunday as it barreled up Mexico's Pacific coast, but was still likely to bring life-threatening flooding to the typically arid southwestern United States, forecasters said.

Canada wildfires spread and merge as evacuations continue

Two huge and fast-moving wildfires merged overnight in western Canada, threatening hundreds of homes and forcing continued evacuations in British Columbia province, officials said.

Seine pollution forces cancellation of third Olympics test event

The swimming stage of a triathlon in Paris's Seine River was cancelled on Sunday due to pollution, organisers announced, raising further questions about holding competitions there during the 2024 Olympics.

Hurricane Hilary to bring 'life-threatening flooding' to US southwest

States across the typically arid US southwest braced on Sunday for torrential rain and potentially life-threatening flooding, as Hurricane Hilary barreled up Mexico's coast, where authorities reported at least one fatality.

Iran realtor in dog house over sale to canine

Iranian police have arrested the head of a real estate agency after a viral video showed his firm selling an apartment to a dog, officials said on Sunday.

Mass evacuations as Tenerife wildfire rages out of control

Firefighters battling a vast wildfire on Tenerife are facing another very difficult night after severe weather conditions worsened the blaze, forcing thousands to flee their homes on the Spanish holiday island, regional officials said.

Seine pollution cancels Paris Olympics test events again

Pollution levels in the Seine river forced the cancellation of Saturday's test event for the para-triathlon at the Paris Olympics.

'We're all tired': Thousands of evacuees arrive in southern Canada

Crystal Sangris barely slept for three days as wildfires threatened her hometown in northern Canada, and when she was ordered to evacuate, her anxiety turned to anguish.

Japan PM to visit Fukushima plant before water release

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he will visit the Fukushima nuclear plant on Sunday, ahead of the discharge of treated water which is scheduled to begin by the end of summer.

Wildfires threaten western Canada city as far north evacuated

Wildfires on Friday bore down on Kelowna in western Canada -- a city of 150,000 -- while efforts to clear Yellowknife in the far north turned it into a ghost town as scorching flames burned ever closer.

Canada's far north speeds up evacuations as fire nears main city

Residents of Yellowknife in Canada's far north raced Friday to evacuate ahead of a midday deadline as wildfires bear down on the remote city and other parts of the vast country.

Greenpeace slams Poland's new river protection law

Environmentalists on Friday slammed the passing of a controversial law in Poland on the revitalisation of the Oder river, which was hit by toxic algae growth last year that caused mass fish deaths.

Maui emergency manager resigns after wildfire warning criticism

The head of Maui's emergency management agency -- who said this week he did not regret the decision to not sound powerful warning sirens as a deadly wildfire ripped through the Hawaiian town of Lahaina -- resigned Thursday.

Thousands flee wildfire on Spain's Tenerife island

Firefighters struggled Thursday to control a huge wildfire on the Spanish holiday island of Tenerife that has forced the evacuation of thousands of people, local official said.

Big potential for green hydrogen in North Africa: report

By 2050 North Africa could become a leading exporter of green hydrogen with Europe its main market, according to a recent report projecting the future of an industry still in its infancy.

Hawaii officials say 'no regrets' about lack of wildfire sirens

Embattled officials in Hawaii who have been criticized for the lack of warnings as a deadly wildfire ripped through a town insisted Wednesday that sounding emergency sirens would not have saved lives.

New species of snake found in Peru named after Harrison Ford

Scientists working in Peru have named a new species of snake after Harrison Ford in honor of the "Indiana Jones" actor's support for conservation work.

Biden to visit Hawaii as first wildfire victims named

President Joe Biden will head to fire-ravaged Hawaii next week to meet with survivors and first responders still hunting for bodies, the White House said Wednesday, as the first victims of the horrific blaze were named.

High in the Andes, Lake Titicaca's water levels fall to historic lows

Pedro de la Cruz stands beside his stranded boat and supplicates his God, lifting his arms and praying anxiously for rain to replenish Lake Titicaca, the massive body of water at a breath-sapping altitude in the Andes on the border between Bolivia and Peru.

Italy's clam farmers fear blue crab 'invasion'

In the shallow waters of the Scardovari lagoon, fishermen catch clams for Italy's beloved spaghetti alle vongole, alongside mussels and oysters. But an invader risks putting them out of business.

Hawaii fire death toll hits 99, may double, warns governor

The death toll in Hawaii's wildfires rose to 99 and could double over the next 10 days, the state's governor said Monday, as emergency personnel painstakingly scoured the incinerated landscape for more human remains.

Montana court rules for young people in landmark US climate trial

In a landmark climate trial, a Montana court on Monday ruled in favor of a group of youths who accused the western US state of violating their rights to a clean environment.

50 pct chance 2023 will be warmest year on record: NOAA

There is a nearly 50 percent probability that 2023 will be the warmest year ever recorded and next year could be even hotter, US government climate experts said Monday.

Death toll from heavy rain in north India rises sharply to almost 50

At least 49 people were killed, nine of them in a temple collapse, and dozens more were feared missing after intense rains caused floods and landslides in India, officials said Monday.

Baghdad zoo animals suffer as mercury hits 50 degrees

A pair of Siberian tigers pant incessantly beside a pond at their zoo enclosure in the scorching summer heat of the Iraqi capital.

Hawaii fire death toll nears 100, and anger grows

The death toll in Hawaii from the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century was expected to cross the 100-mark Sunday, fueling criticism that government inaction contributed to the heavy loss of life.

Morocco breaks heat record

Temperatures in Morocco have for the first time on record topped 50 degrees Celsius (120 Fahrenheit), the North African country's meteorological service said Sunday amid a scorching heatwave.

A second life for Cuba's seaside swimming pools

When summer temperatures start to sizzle in Havana, in-the-know locals head not to the beach but to seaside pools built by wealthy Cuban families in the first half of the last century.

Full of life: Paris's Pere Lachaise cemetery goes greener

The Pere Lachaise in Paris, the most visited cemetery in the world thanks to celebrities buried there, is welcoming crowds back after years of Covid restrictions with a back-to-nature setting that helps them keep cool in the summer heat.

Death toll hits 80 as Hawaii starts probe into wildfire handling

Hawaii's chief legal officer said Friday she was opening a probe into the handling of devastating wildfires that killed at least 80 people in the state this week, as criticism grows of the official response.

Residents return to find homes in ruin from Hawaii fire

People who fled the ferocious wildfire that tore through a picturesque Hawaiian town began returning Friday to find their homes in ashes.

The Japan Times - Nature (English)