Environment

Bangladesh, Pakistan and India bottom in air quality rankings in 2023
Average concentrations of PM2.5 - small airborne particles that damage the lungs - reached 79.9 micrograms per cubic metre in Bangladesh in 2023, and 73.7 micrograms in Pakistan
Ocean temperature hit record high in February 2024
Marine scientists warned this week that a fourth global mass coral bleaching event is likely unfolding in the Southern Hemisphere
World on brink of fourth mass coral reef bleaching event, NOAA says
Coral bleaching can be devastating for the ocean ecosystem, as well as fisheries and tourism-based economies
Vietnamese capital Hanoi tops list of most polluted cities
Levels of hazardous small particles known as PM2.5 in the air in Hanoi were at 187 micrograms per cubic metre late on Monday

California snow storm closes highway
More than one foot (30 cm) of additional snow was predicted to fall on Sunday in much of California's Sierra Nevada mountains
New species of Amazon anaconda discovered
Researchers in the Amazon discovered the world's largest snake species - an enormous green anaconda - in Ecuador's rainforest
Global CO2 emissions hit record high in 2023:IEA
Emissions from energy rose by 410 million tonnes, or 1.1 percent, in 2023 to 37.4 billion tonnes, the IEA said in a report
Bird flu reaches mainland Antarctica for first time, scientists say
Hundreds of thousands of penguins gather in tightly packed colonies on the Antarctic continent and nearby islands, which could enable the deadly virus to easily spread