Drought may affect 49 million in southern Africa: WFP 16/2/2016

As many as 49 million people in southern Africa could be affected by a drought that has been worsened by the most severe and longest El Nino weather pattern in 35 years, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said on Monday. ...more

Deadly beauty: Amber-entombed flower may have been toxic 16/2/2016

Do not let its beauty fool you. A newly identified and exquisitely preserved flower found entombed in amber – fossilized tree sap – may have packed quite a punch. ...more

Fiji becomes first country in the world to ratify Paris agreement 16/2/2016

Fiji has become the first country in the world to formally approve the UN climate deal agreed by 195 nations in Paris in December. ...more

Turn your waste cooking oil into biodiesel 15/2/2016

Tadweer, the Centre of Waste Management Abu Dhabi, has launched an initiative to convert household’s cooking oil waste into biodiesel for vehicles. ...more

Australian state could take 13% of globe's nuclear waste: report 15/2/2016

A nuclear dump in an Australian state could handle 13 percent of the world's atomic waste and prove "highly profitable" in the long term, initial findings from a high-level inquiry said on Monday. ...more

Four billion people face severe water scarcity, new research finds 15/2/2016

At least two-thirds of the global population, over 4 billion people, live with severe water scarcity for at least one month every year, according to a major new analysis. ...more

150,000 Antarctica penguins die after iceberg grounding: study 15/2/2016

Some 150,000 penguins died after a massive iceberg grounded near their colony in Antarctica, forcing them to make a lengthy trek to find food, scientists say in a newly-published study. ...more

Germany wants to introduce random emissions tests on cars 15/2/2016

Germany wants to carry out unannounced emissions tests on all carmakers, Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt said on Sunday, aiming to reinstate confidence in the industry that was shattered by the Volkswagen cheating scandal. ...more

Spain dismantles falcon trafficking ring destined for UAE races 12/2/2016

Spanish police said Thursday they had dismantled an international ring that smuggled falcons to the United Arab Emirates, where bird-of-prey racing is an elite sport. ...more

Obama grants monument status to vast swath of California desert 12/2/2016

President Barack Obama is granting national monument status to nearly 1.8 million acres of scenic Southern California desert, a move the White House says will maintain in perpetuity the region's fragile ecosystem and natural resources, as well as provide recreational opportunities for hikers, campers, hunters and others. ...more