Natural disasters in China during the first half of 2025 caused $7.55 billion in economic losses and affected more than 23 million people, with floods accounting for the majority of the damage, an official from the emergency response ministry said.
Major incidents included a powerful earthquake in Tibet, deadly landslides in southwestern provinces, and widespread flooding in southern regions.
The disasters led to 307 deaths or missing persons and forced the evacuation of 620,000 people from affected areas. Nearly 29,600 homes were destroyed—a 28.7% increase compared to last year—while 2.19 million hectares of crops were damaged.
In response, China has expanded economic safety nets for those affected by floods, including direct compensation from the central government and payments for livestock losses. Experts link the rising frequency of extreme weather events to climate change, posing increasing risks to the country’s infrastructure and population.
Recent weeks saw torrential rains and extreme heat challenge aging flood defenses and exposed infrastructure gaps such as limited air conditioning access. Dozens of rivers in southwestern China exceeded safe levels last week while more than 10,000 people were evacuated in the remnants of former typhoon Danas.
Authorities warn that flood and typhoon prevention will remain difficult through mid-August, as intense rainfall and typhoon activity peak in northern and eastern regions.
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Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy said a Togo-flagged oil tanker was struck while attempting to make an “illegal passage” through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media said early on Friday.
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
The European Union will disburse €3.3 billion ($3.8 billion) to Ukraine for missiles and drones, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 10 people had died in Russian attacks over the last 24 hours.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 18 September 2026. These are the top five stories making headlines in the field of science.
Greenland and Antarctica have shed a combined 11.3 trillion tonnes of ice since 1979, according to the most comprehensive satellite study of the planet's ice sheets to date, with researchers warning the pace of loss has accelerated sharply in recent decades.
The European Union will continue allowing large-scale plastic waste exports to Türkiye despite concerns over recycling rates, environmental damage and the risk of illegal waste trafficking.
Hundreds of thousands of deep-diving turtles, known as olive ridley sea turtles, have arrived on Mexico’s southern coast for one of nature’s most striking nesting events. But conservation officials warn that climate change is making it increasingly difficult for their eggs to hatch.
August 2026 tied as the hottest month ever recorded globally, pushing average temperatures above the critical 1.5°C threshold as extreme weather swept across several regions, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service said.
Increasingly intense wildfires and heat waves are threatening global efforts to improve air quality and protect public health, the United Nations’ weather agency has warned.
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