Environment

Activists slam ASEAN roadmap to stop smog

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) – Southeast Asian nations agreed to a roadmap on Thursday to combat acrid haze from Indonesian fires that cloaks vast swathes of the region every year, but the move was greeted by activists with scepticism. Further doubts were raised about the agreement with the Indonesian environment minister skipping the one-day meeting in Kuala Lumpur attended by environment ministers from the the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a 10-member regional bloc. Malaysia’s […]

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Illegal bird trade threatens Indonesian species: report

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Tens of thousands of endangered Indonesian birds are being sold illegally at markets across the country, a wildlife trade watchdog warned Thursday, flouting laws aimed at protecting these species from extinction. Wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC recorded nearly 23,000 birds for sale at five markets in three major cities on the main island of Java. More than two dozen species identified in the survey were fully protected under Indonesian law, meaning […]

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‘Alarming’ bleaching of Maldives corals: conservationists

GENEVa, Switzerland (AFP) — Coral reefs in the Maldives are under severe stress after suffering mass bleaching this year as sea temperatures soared, a top conservationist body warned Monday. Around 60 percent of Maldives’ coral colonies have been bleached, with the figure reaching 90 percent in some areas, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said in a statement. It cited data from a survey it carried out with the Maldives Marine Research Center […]

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‘Alarming’ bleaching of Maldives corals: conservationists

GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) – Coral reefs in the Maldives are under severe stress after suffering mass bleaching this year as sea temperatures soared, a top conservationist body warned Monday. Around 60 percent of Maldives’ coral colonies have been bleached, with the figure reaching 90 percent in some areas, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said in a statement. It cited data from a survey it carried out with the Maldives Marine Research Center […]

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Laulhère, the last historic beret factory in France

The Laulhère company has become something of a French institution… It’s the last remaining historic factory producing distinct and 100% homegrown French berets, which it’s been doing for 200 years. Having survived the threat of bankruptcy, the company is now growing and its berets are even worn by princesses and movie stars.

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Indonesian crocodile catchers to snap up prizes

KUPANG, Indonesia (AFP) — An Indonesian city has hit on an original idea to rid its popular beaches of crocodiles — it will offer cash prizes to people who catch the man-eating reptiles, an official said Friday. The population of dangerous saltwater crocodiles around two beaches near Kupang in eastern Indonesia has been increasing in recent years and there have been reports of tourists being attacked. Authorities now plan to launch a competition offering cash […]

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Videographic explaining how hurricanes form

(AFP) Hong Kong shut down Tuesday as Typhoon Nida brought violent winds and torrential rain, with hundreds of flights cancelled and the stock market, schools and businesses closed, as the storm headed across southern China. Videographic explaining how hurricanes – also known as cyclones or typhoons – form. Marian Henbest Stéphane Koguc / AFP Videographics / AFP

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Dutch activists sue government over air pollution

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AFP) – Dutch environmentalists said Tuesday they are suing the government over poor air quality, saying people’s “fundamental” rights to good health were being infringed. In a lawsuit filed on Monday, the Milieudefensie group alleged “the Netherlands exceeds the legal standards for air quality and is violating fundamental human rights by doing too little to combat air pollution.” “This pollution causes thousands of deaths every year, and leaves tens of thousands of people […]

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Lava from Kilauea volcano reaches ocean for first time since 2013

Lava cascaded off of cliffs on Hawaii’s big island on Wednesday (July 27), marking the first time since 2013 that one of Kilauea’s lava flows reached the ocean. Lava from the volcano, located in Hawaii volcanoes national park, began erupting in late May and has been continuously moving on a six-mile journey towards the coast. Authorities have said the lava poses no threat to any towns, but have cautioned tourists to keep their distance. Despite […]

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‘Talking donkeys’ entertain London

ENGLAND, United Kingdom (Reuters) — A self-proclaimed ‘donkey whisperer’ is encouraging people to better understand donkeys’ emotions and mannerisms with the help of technology. Mark Ineson, owner of ‘Real Donkeys’, has been studying the animals for more than 20 years and says they are very emotive creatures. “We get the nudges, we get the facial expressions, we get the like dogs give a paw, he lifts a leg to show his emotions that way,” said […]

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