French lawmakers are expected to vote Tuesday on whether to enshrine environmental protection in the constitution, as President Emmanuel Macron seeks the upper hand in what could be a key issue in next year's elections.

Russia said Friday it was considering sending prisoners to help clean up the Arctic after a massive diesel spill hit a remote Siberian territory last year.

Japan is marking the 10th anniversary Thursday of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster that hit the northeastern region, where many survivors' lives are still on hold.

People, some carrying bouquets, walked to the coast or graves to pray for relatives and friends washed away by the tsunami. Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga were among those observing a moment of silence at 2:46 p.m. — the minute the shaking started — and were to speak at the memorial service later.

The Australian politician seeking to head the OECD should be ruled out of the role due to "grave concerns" over his record on climate change, leading environmental groups have said.

From flat battery to full charge in just five minutes -- an Israeli start-up has developed technology it says could eliminate the "range anxiety" associated with electric cars.

Tsunami warnings were lifted across several South Pacific islands Friday allowing tens of thousand of evacuees to return home, as the risk from a series of powerful earthquakes appeared to ease.

Israel's environmental protection minister on Thursday stood by her allegation that a crude oil spill in the eastern Mediterranean last month was an intentional attack by Iran but provided no evidence for her claim.

Defense officials remained silent about the charge by Gila Gamliel, a junior minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, who on Wednesday announced that she had concluded the Iranian government deliberately spilled tons of crude oil into the sea in an attempt to damage Israel's marine ecosystem.

Israel on Wednesday accused Iran of "environmental terrorism" after a devastating oil spill off its Mediterranean coast it said was perpetrated by a Libyan-flagged ship that set sail from Iran.

Storms last month washed tons of sticky tar ashore along Israel's entire Mediterranean coastline, staining 160 kilometers of beach from its borders with the Gaza Strip to Lebanon.

A strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit central Greece on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said, prompting residents in the city of Larissa to rush into the streets according to local media.

Lebanon's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday moved to file a report with the U.N. in which it asked for technical assistance in the face of a Mediterranean oil spill that has contaminated at least half of coastline.

The report, prepared by the National Council for Scientific Research at the request of caretaker PM Hassan Diab, highlights the magnitude of the damage, describes it as an environmental disaster and warns that the recovery could take several years, the National News Agency said.