Istanbul (AFP) July 21, 2023 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday he wants to convince his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to re-join an agreement on Ukrainian grain exports via the Black Sea, which Moscow declined to renew. “I think we will be able to ensure the continuation (of the humanitarian corridor) by talking in detail with Mr Putin,” Erdogan told media, according to state … Continue reading Erdogan still seeking to persuade Putin over Ukraine grain deal

Jakarta (AFP) July 22, 2023 A notorious Indonesian animal market has ended the sale of dog and cat meat after years of activist pressure to stop the trade and its brutal methods of slaughter, according to campaigners. Canine and feline meat were on the menu alongside bats, rats, snakes and monkeys at the Tomohon Extreme Market on Sulawesi island, known for its disturbing culinary spread … Continue reading ‘Extreme’ Indonesian market ends dog, cat meat trade

New Delhi (AFP) July 23, 2023 The death toll from a massive landslide in India’s Maharashtra state jumped to 27 on Sunday, with at least 50 people still missing as rescue teams struggle in lashing rain, officials said. The landslide was triggered by monsoon rains on Thursday, smashing into a village in Raigad district, a hilly and forested site about 100 kilometres (62 miles) from … Continue reading India landslide toll jumps to 27, at least 50 missing

Paris (AFP) July 20, 2023 The world has been buffeted by fires, dire health warnings and broken temperature records in the past week. Here is a roundup of the prolonged spell of extreme heat scorching millions around the globe. – Wildfires, closures in Greece – Greece said Thursday that archaeological sites, including the Acropolis, will be closed during the hottest hours of the day due … Continue reading A roundup of the extreme heat hitting the globe

Athens (AFP) July 21, 2023 A densely-populated concrete jungle lacking in green space, Athens has become one of Europe’s hottest capitals and despite its vulnerability to extreme temperatures, has failed to make environmental innovations, experts warn. Residents and visitors have sweated through a scorching week in the Greek capital, only finding respite on cafe terraces in the evening. And the mercury is expecthttp://dlvr.it/SsX614 Continue reading All concrete, no trees: Athens ill-prepared for heatwaves

Washington (AFP) July 21, 2023 When Jack Hierholzer moved back to Pensacola in the Florida panhandle, it felt like a homecoming. “My kids were born in Pensacola, and so we have a lot of friends in the neighborhood, we have some family here,” he told AFP in a phone interview. But less than three years later, he’s thinking of leaving the city after seeing his … Continue reading Growing climate risks fuel surge in US home insurance costs

Shenzhen, China (AFP) July 20, 2023 With its open kitchen, bathtub and electric piano, Chinese e-commerce worker Twiggy He’s home is the envy of her colleagues – even if it is located in their office carpark. The cheery yellow refitted van, named “YOLO” (You Only Live Once), gives He a commute of two minutes from bed to desk, and has saved her thousands of yuan … Continue reading Deals on wheels: Housing prices drive young Chinese into RV living

Wad Madani, Sudan (AFP) July 20, 2023 Air strikes, street battles and artillery fire shook Sudan’s capital Khartoum and the major southern city of El-Obeid on Thursday, witnesses told AFP. “Artillery fire targeted paramilitary bases of the Rapid Support Forces,” said a resident of El-Obeid, 350 kilometres (220 miles) southwest of Khartoum. Fighting between the RSF and the regular army, led by feuding generals, has … Continue reading Fighting in Sudan’s capital, south after generals briefly surface

Phoenix (AFP) July 20, 2023 On a sidewalk in Arizona’s capital Phoenix, where a record-setting heat wave has prompted warnings for people to limit their time outside, Dana Page struggles to stay hydrated in her tarpaulin shelter. The 49-year-old, surrounded by bottles of water, knows full well the dangers heat poses to the homeless population. Days earlier, she watched emergency responders perform CPR on a … Continue reading ‘Life or death’: Arizona heat wave poses lethal threat to homeless

Athens (AFP) July 19, 2023 A sustained spell of dangerous heat was impacting the lives of millions of people across three continents on Wednesday as fires raged and health worries mounted. Greece was battling wildfires that have been exacerbated by scorching weather and temperature records have been broken repeatedly in the United States, Europe and China. Experts have said climate change, driven by the burning … Continue reading Millions hit by extreme heat on three continents