Showing 1 - 10 of 693
China has slashed air pollution, but the 'war' isn't over
AFP, Published on 17/02/2026
» BEIJING — Fifteen years ago, Beijing's Liangma riverbanks would have been smog-choked and deserted in winter, but these days they are dotted with families and exercising pensioners most mornings.
Russian poisonings aim to kill -- and send a message
AFP, Published on 17/02/2026
» PARIS (FRANCE) - Polonium, Novichok and now dart frog poison: the finding that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was killed with a rare toxin has revived the spectre of Moscow's use of poisons against opponents -- a hallmark of its secret services, according to experts.
Wildfire smoke kills more than 24,000 Americans a year: study
AFP, Published on 05/02/2026
» WASHINGTON (UNITED STATES) - Wildfires are growing larger, lasting longer and happening more often as the climate warms -- but the toll from their toxic smoke, especially from long-term exposure, remains poorly understood.
Buddhist monks' peace walk across US draws crowds
AFP, Published on 04/02/2026
» GLEN ALLEN (UNITED STATES) — Buddhist monks walking from Texas to Washington to promote peace have become a surprise popular hit as they near the US capital -- attracting crowds of thousands who line the route or join in for a few miles.
Plastics everywhere, and the myth that made it possible
AFP, Published on 22/01/2026
» WASHINGTON - If there’s one material that defines modern life more than any other, it’s plastic: present from the moment we’re born in newborn stool, in product packaging, in the soil beneath our feet and the air we breathe.
Chile wildfires rage for third day, entire towns wiped out
AFP, Published on 20/01/2026
» LIRQUéN (CHILE) - Wildfires that have killed 19 people in southern Chile and wiped out entire towns, raged for a third day Monday, fanned by high temperatures and strong winds at the height of the southern hemisphere summer.
UK, France mull social media bans for youth as debate rages
AFP, Published on 19/01/2026
» PARIS - Countries including France and Britain are considering following Australia's lead by banning children and some teenagers from using social media, but experts are still locked in a debate over the effectiveness of the move.
Abortion in Afghanistan: 'My mother crushed my stomach with a stone'
AFP, Published on 05/12/2025
» KABUL - When Bahara was four months pregnant, she went to a Kabul hospital to beg for an abortion. "We're not allowed," a doctor told her. "If someone finds out, we will all end up in prison."
French scientists probe mRNA’s potential to fight cancer
AFP, Published on 20/11/2025
» ORLEANS, France - Inside a lab in the French city of Orleans, scientists are testing out the limits of molecules in our body called messenger RNA — best known for being used in Covid-19 vaccines — in the hopes of finding a breakthrough treatment for a particularly deadly cancer.
Tobacco conference to weigh up stubbing out cigarette butts
AFP, Published on 14/11/2025
» GENEVA - Next week's global conference on tobacco control will consider what to do about the sheer volume of cigarette butts trashing the planet, with some recommending banning them completely.