A monitoring contest has exposed a sharp fall in soil moisture across parts of the Philippines’ Sierra Madre, with researchers saying the forest may now be losing its ability to recover from drought. Officials insist the mountain range remains healthy, even as emergency protections and a ₱6.2 billion (about €100 million) response package are debated.
A record run of fuel made from rendered animal fat has left Thailand facing a 612-million-baht subsidy scandal. The plant’s reported feedstock exceeds what suppliers and port figures can account for by 8,100 tonnes.
Thousands marched in Edmonton on Friday as researchers warned that another dry spring could leave nine Canadian cities under repeated, dangerous smoke by next summer. Alberta’s emergency minister urged calm, but an atmospheric scientist interviewed at the protest said the government was understating the risk.
A giant new store in Gothenburg opened before dawn on Friday after a scheduling error, then displayed thousands of goods at a fraction of their intended prices. The retailer says it will honour the mistaken bargains, which left a crowd of early customers grinning and its launch team scrambling.
A French audit has found that key instruments at Piton de la Fournaise were filtering out most low-frequency tremors, as fresh readings point to magma rising beneath Réunion. Scientists say an eruption could begin within 72 hours, while officials urge residents not to panic.
A beekeeper following muddy paw prints in the Tyrolean Alps has led officials to a long-sealed tunnel used by brown bears to cross from Austria into Italy. Camera footage and hair samples suggest at least three bears made the underground journey in less than two weeks, forcing both countries to rethink how they monitor the animals.
The head of a Southern African public-media alliance resigned Thursday, hours after its board named a popular talk-radio presenter to lead election coverage. Three member broadcasters are threatening to withhold reporters from the alliance’s shared feed, putting its coverage plans for six countries in doubt.
A section of cliff collapsed on Portugal’s west coast on Wednesday, hours after a court ruling cleared the first stage of work to remove a disputed sea wall. Authorities evacuated 126 people from 41 homes; no injuries were reported.
A 900-square-kilometre (347-square-mile) section of the fictional Morrow Ice Shelf broke away in West Antarctica last week, and a former US monitoring analyst says officials understated how quickly its remaining support is failing. Scientists warn that the loss could accelerate inland ice flow and add up to 17cm (6.7 inches) to global sea levels by 2100 in a high-emissions scenario.
An asteroid with a possible 18 May impact date has a 1-in-17 chance of striking Earth, with its current path uncertainty reaching Taiwan’s eastern coast. A review of public telescope records found the island’s astronomy bureau had flagged the object 11 days before its warning went out.
Switzerland has taken control of a cross-border fire-warning network and merged it with an expiring Alpine pact, creating a new service as smoke from an exceptional wildfire season reaches major cities. Scientists say the region could face another 190,000 hectares of burning land by mid-December if dry winds persist.
A sudden expansion of seasonal work permits has brought workers to Vardholm faster than the Arctic territory can house them, leaving hundreds in temporary lodging as temperatures fall. Analysts say the cabinet’s retreat from a housing guarantee has turned a labour plan into a test of basic services.