The Japan Times

19 dead, thousands seek shelter in South Asia monsoon floods

At least 19 people are dead after floods triggered by South Asia's annual monsoon, with a week of relentless rains forcing thousands of people to seek shelter in India.

Zimbabwe's carbon credit takeover spooks locals, investors

It is shortly after sunrise, and Peter Mudenda looks for elephant tracks on a dirt road surrounded by mopane trees.

'We only have this planet': Barbados PM urges unified climate finance response

Between brainstorming ways to fix the global financial system and appearing onstage at a Paris pop concert, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley stopped to record a message about the storm looming near her Caribbean nation.

Beijing issues highest heat alert as north China swelters

China issued its highest-level heat alert for northern parts of the country on Friday as the capital baked in temperatures hovering around 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).

Tiny Thai school on the climate change front line

Each morning, four children stand barefoot in a line and proudly sing the national anthem as the Thai flag is raised outside their school, perched on a finger of land surrounded by the sea.

Climate finance summit wraps up eyeing bigger progress

A global summit seeking to overhaul the international financial system wraps up Friday after taking small steps towards easing the debt burden of developing nations weighed down by climate and economic crises.

Jane Fonda ready to 'kick ass' on climate crisis

She is 85, has a glittering film career behind her, and recently battled cancer, but Jane Fonda doesn't intend to slow down her activism on climate change -- the "greatest crisis ever to confront humanity" -- anytime soon.

Climate: Paris summit vets revamp of global lending institutions

The leaders of France and Barbados, joined by other leaders and the heads of multilateral development banks, pushed Thursday for an overhaul of the international financial system to better tackle poverty, climate change and other 21st-century challenges.

As Arctic warms, caribou and muskoxen slow biodiversity loss

Rapidly warming conditions in the Arctic and the loss of sea ice caused by climate change are driving a steep decline in biodiversity, including among plants, fungi and lichen.

US county sues oil companies for $51 bn over 'Heat Dome' disaster

A county in the northwestern state of Oregon on Thursday filed a lawsuit against major fossil fuel corporations seeking more than $51 billion over the 2021 "Heat Dome," one of the United States' deadliest ever weather disasters.

Ford-backed electric battery venture approved for $9.2bn US loan

A Ford joint venture to build three new electric vehicle battery plants is set to receive up to $9.2 billion in US federal loans under a program backed by President Joe Biden, officials announced Thursday.

Beijing temperatures near record as extreme heat sweeps northern China

Beijing on Thursday appeared to log its hottest June temperature since reliable records began, according to weather data and local media reports, as swathes of northern China sweltered in 40-degree heat.

Paris climate summit opens with call for 'finance shock'

French President Emmanuel Macron told global leaders Thursday that no country should have to choose between tackling poverty and dealing with climate change at a summit tasked with reimagining the world's financial system.

How climate change fuels extreme heat

Heatwaves across Asia and beyond have already broken records this year, while the arrival of the El Nino climate phenomenon will mean even more extreme temperatures.

'Every drop counts': Spain's crops thrive on wastewater

With rainfall increasingly scarce, irrigating crops can be a major challenge, but farmers in southeastern Spain have long relied on recycled wastewater in a model that is winning attention abroad.

Flying taxis star at Paris Air Show, next stop: the Olympics

Barely making a buzz, a two-seat helicopter powered by an electric battery landed softly on the tarmac at the Paris Air Show after a 15-minute flight.

Europe is world's fastest warming continent: climate report

Europe should brace for more deadly heatwaves driven by climate change, said a sweeping report on Monday, noting the world's fastest-warming continent was some 2.3 degrees Celsius hotter last year than in pre-industrial times.

Amid melting glaciers, Swiss vote on new climate law

The Swiss, feeling the impact of global warming on their rapidly melting glaciers, were voting on Sunday on a new climate bill aimed at steering the country towards carbon neutrality.

Mexico says mass bird die-off 'most probably' due to Pacific warming

Massive die-offs of birds on the coast of Mexico, following similar phenomena in Peru and Chile, are "most probably" due to a warming of the waters of the Pacific Ocean, authorities said Friday.

Cyclone Biparjoy eases over Indian coast

Cyclone Biparjoy tore down power poles and uprooted trees Friday after pummelling the Indian coastline, but the storm was weaker than feared and there were only two confirmed deaths.

Beijing roasts in record mid-June temperatures

Temperatures in Beijing hit a record for mid-June of 39.4 degrees Celsius (103 Fahrenheit) on Friday, China's meteorological authority said, warning the public to stay indoors.

Cyclone Biparjoy leaves destructive trail on Indian coast

Cyclone Biparjoy tore down power poles and uprooted trees Friday after pummelling the Indian coastline, though the storm was weaker than feared and there were no immediate reports of casualties.

'There is nothing for me': Vietnam drought dries up income

On the shores of a reservoir that feeds one of Vietnam's biggest hydropower plants, Dang Thi Phuong points at the cracked ground where the fish that help her earn a living normally swim.

'Heating hammer': Germany huffs and puffs over climate law

When Maike Biert was choosing a new heating system for her house in western Germany, she baulked at the huge cost of installing a heat pump, instead opting for a gas boiler.

Vietnam's power crisis hits local firms, foreign investors

An intensely hot summer and unprecedented drought are straining energy supplies in northern Vietnam, prompting rolling blackouts and sudden power outages that have led to "uncountable" losses among local firms and foreign manufacturers.

CO2 cuts v. cash: Climate talks stymied by stand-off

Pressure to speed cuts in carbon pollution took a back seat at UN climate talks that ended late Thursday night, as emerging economies, including China, demanded that rich ones vastly scale up climate financing.

World breaks average temperature record for early June: EU

Average global temperatures at the start of June were the warmest the European Union's climate monitoring unit has ever recorded for the period, trouncing previous records by a "substantial margin", it said on Thursday.

Paris Air Show returns with climate, defence in focus

After a Covid-induced break, the Paris Air Show returns next week with the aerospace industry bouncing back from the pandemic but facing pressure to slash its carbon footprint.

Gales lash India and Pakistan coast as cyclone approaches

Howling gales and crashing waves pounded the coastline of India and Pakistan on Thursday hours before a powerful cyclone was due to make landfall, with those unable to flee seeking shelter where they could.

More than 100,000 evacuated as cyclone threatens India and Pakistan

More than 100,000 people have been evacuated from the path of a fierce cyclone heading towards India and Pakistan, with forecasters warning Wednesday it could devastate homes and tear down power lines.

Peak in oil demand 'in sight' before end of decade: IEA

Global oil demand could peak before the end of this decade as the energy crisis has accelerated the transition to cleaner technologies, the International Energy Agency said Wednesday.

100,000 evacuated as cyclone threatens India and Pakistan