Wildfires raging across central and southern Chile have left at least 18 people dead, scorched thousands of acres of forest and destroyed hundreds of homes, authorities said, as the South American country swelters under a heat wave.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared Sunday a state of catastrophe in the country's central Biobio region and the neighboring Ñuble region, around 500 kilometers (300 miles) south of Santiago, the capital.

Torrential rains and flooding have killed more than 100 people in South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, and authorities warned Friday that more severe weather was expected across several countries in southern Africa.

South Africa has reported at least 19 deaths in two of its northern provinces following heavy rains that began last month led to severe flooding.

In 2025, Vietnam marked a pivotal moment in its economic trajectory. Amid persistent global uncertainties, the country recorded GDP growth of 8.02%. Vietnam's economic scale also reached a new threshold, with GDP estimated at approximately USD 514 billion and GDP per capita surpassing USD 5,000, officially elevating the country into the upper-middle-income category. Notably, Vietnam led ASEAN in growth momentum, reinforcing Vietnam's rising profile as a resilient and increasingly attractive destination for long-term global capital.

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Build up Nepal manufactures interlocking compressed earth bricks (eco-bricks) that replace coal-fired bricks and cut construction emissions by 75%. Its decentralized, market-driven model empowers local communities—especially marginalized groups—to establish micro-enterprises that produce affordable, climate-resilient housing using locally sourced materials.

To date, the organization has produced over 3.3 million eco-bricks and supported the construction of more than 12,000 resilient homes, creating nearly 2,000 green jobs, housing 58,000 people, and avoiding 110,000 tons of CO₂ emissions in the process. By reducing the cost of housing by up to 40%, the project enables vulnerable families to access safe, sustainable homes while promoting economic independence.

In Japan's ancient capital, Nara, deer moved through grass fields and shaded paths, lowering their heads toward visitors holding special crackers made just for them.

Nara this week hosted a Japan–South Korea summit, with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who is from the city, welcoming South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.

Scientists on Wednesday inaugurated the first global repository of mountain ice cores, preserving the history of the Earth's atmosphere in an Antarctic vault for future generations to study as global warming melts glaciers around the world.

An ice core is something of a time capsule, containing the history of the Earth's past atmosphere in a frozen climate archive. With global glaciers melting at an unprecedented rate, scientists have raced to preserve ice cores for future study before they disappear altogether.

The planet logged its third hottest year on record in 2025, extending a run of unprecedented heat, U.S. researchers and EU climate monitors said Wednesday.

The last 11 years have now been the warmest ever recorded, with 2024 topping the podium and 2023 in second place, according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service and Berkeley Earth, a California-based non-profit research organization.

Greenhouse gas emissions in the United States rose last year, snapping a two-year streak of declines as cold winter temperatures drove demand for heating fuel and the AI boom led to a surge in power generation, a think tank said Tuesday.

Alma Figueroa began to worry when she learned that her gas provider wanted to test a controversial solution to curb global warming: blend hydrogen with natural gas to power her stove and other appliances. Figueroa, who has asthma and recently learned her lung cancer is back, worries about health risks.

Thousands of homes and businesses across northern France and southern England were without power Friday morning and residents faced widespread travel delays after a storm swept in off the Atlantic, bringing high winds, rain and snow to the region.

The low-pressure system, named Storm Goretti, pummeled the Isles of Scilly overnight with wind gusts up to 99 mph (159 kph) recorded in the archipelago off the southwestern tip of England. Local government officials reported blocked roads, unstable buildings and power outages that left some people without water.