Climate Change
🇦🇫 Taliban officials will attend COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, marking their first major UN climate conference since taking power in 2021. While not recognized as Afghanistan’s legitimate government, they were invited as observers facing severe climate impacts, allowing limited participation.
🇵🇰 Facing extreme smog, Punjab province in Pakistan has banned public entry to parks, zoos, and playgrounds and may soon close universities to curb vehicle emissions. Lahore, now ranked as the world’s most polluted city, struggles with inadequate monitoring resources.
🇺🇸 A relentless wildfire near Los Angeles has burned 20,000 acres, destroyed over 130 structures, and forced 10,000 to evacuate. With only 7% containment, firefighters are battling challenging terrain. Scientists point to climate change as dry winters and intense summer heat create conditions.
🇪🇸 Spain’s worst floods in modern history claim 217 lives as angry residents hurl mud at King Felipe during Valencia visit. Grieving locals blast authorities for delayed warnings and slow emergency response while thousands of troops join massive cleanup effort.
🇦🇺 Double heat wave set to scorch Australia with temps soaring above 40C inland - Sydney’s west bracing for 36C weekend while Perth, Adelaide hit mid-30s, as forecasters warn of La Nina’s likely return bringing wetter summer ahead.
🇺🇳 New UN climate report paints a stark reality: Earth faces 3.1°C warming by 2100 under current policies—more than double the Paris Agreement target. Global emissions hit 57.1 gigatonnes in 2023, demanding urgent 42% cut by 2030 to avoid catastrophic climate impacts.
🇧🇩 Devastating floods ravage Bangladesh, destroying 1.1M tons of rice and forcing increased imports amid soaring food prices. The interim government grapples with stabilizing costs as climate change intensifies the country’s vulnerability to natural disasters.
🇧🇷 Brazil is finalising a historic $30 billion compensation with fossil fuel profiteers Vale and BHP over the devastating 2015 Mariana dam collapse. The agreement, set for October 25, aims to address the environmental and human toll of the disaster, which killed 19 and polluted the Doce River.