Climate Change & Environment
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Hundreds of elephants, zebras die as Kenya weathers drought

Hundreds of animals, including elephants and endangered Grevy's zebras, have died in Kenyan widlife preserves during East Africa's worst drought in decades, according to a report released Friday.

The Kenya Wildlife Service and other bodies counted the deaths of 205 elephants, 512 wildebeests, 381 common zebras, 51 buffalos, 49 Grevy's zebras and 12 giraffes in the past nine months, the report states.

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Cholera surges across Lebanon, Mideast

Shadia Ahmed panicked as rainwater flooded her shack one night, drenching her seven children. The next morning, the kids were seized by vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms.

After an aid group administered tests for cholera in Ahmed's Syrian refugee encampment in the northern Lebanese town of Bhanine, her youngest, 4-year-old Assil, tested positive.

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Maersk plans large-scale green fuel production in Spain

Global shipping giant Maersk signed an agreement Thursday with the Spanish government to develop large-scale production of green fuel in Spain for its worldwide fleet.

The methanol project, which will involve private partners and European Union funding, will see an investment of nearly 10 billion euros ($9.75 billion), a government statement said.

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UK leader reverses decision not to attend UN climate talks

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday said he will attend this month's U.N. climate summit in Egypt, reversing a decision to skip it that had drawn criticism at home and abroad.

Sunak's office previously said he had to skip the gathering, known as COP27, which start on Sunday. It cited "pressing domestic commitments," including preparations for a major government budget statement scheduled for Nov. 17.

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Hong Kong braces for Tropical Storm Nalgae

Schools and offices closed and some events were canceled in Hong Kong on Wednesday as Tropical Storm Nalgae swept south of the city, while a finance conference meant to restore Hong Kong's image as an international business center went ahead.

As the city braced itself, temporary shelters were opened and theme parks were closed. Afternoon trading was suspended in the stock market, and some ferry and bus services were halted. The Hong Kong Jockey Club scrapped the evening's horse races.

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Hunt for deep sea minerals draws scrutiny amid green push

High demand for metals ranging from copper to cobalt is pushing the mining industry to explore the world's deepest oceans, a troubling development for scientists who warn that extracting minerals from critical ecosystems that help regulate climate could cause irreparable damage.

The issue will be in spotlight this week as dozens of scientists, lawyers and government officials gather in Jamaica to debate deep sea mining as part of a two-week conference organized by the International Seabed Authority, an independent body created by a United Nations treaty.

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Climate change and rising seas threaten Egypt's breadbasket

Sayed Abuel-Ezz has seen his crops wither from seawater before. As the Nile Delta farmer walks among his mango trees on his land not far from the Mediterranean Sea, he worries it will happen again despite spending the equivalent of tens of thousands of dollars to prevent it.

"If it gets higher, the trees will die," Abuel-Ezz said, looking towards the sea.

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European Central Bank pushes banks to speed up climate work

The European Central Bank is warning that many of the financial institutions it oversees are moving too slowly to shield themselves and Europe's banking system from the impact of climate change, and it is setting new deadlines to meet those requirements.

The ECB said some progress had been made but that a review of 186 banks published Wednesday showed change was uneven and that "the glass remains half full," top ECB official Frank Elderson said in a blog post on the central bank's website.

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US, UAE announce clean energy partnership worth $100 bn

The United States announced a clean energy partnership on Tuesday with the United Arab Emirates worth $100 billion, the White House said.

The Partnership for Accelerating Clean Energy (PACE) will aim to develop low-emission energy sources to distribute 100 gigawatts of clean energy worldwide by 2035, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

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New president's bid to protect the Amazon will face hurdles

In a victory speech, Brazil's president-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva promised to reverse a surge in deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.

"We will once again monitor and do surveillance in the Amazon. We will fight every illegal activity," leftist da Silva said in his speech at a hotel in downtown Sao Paulo. "At the same time, we will promote sustainable development of communities in the Amazon."

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