Lebanon cabinet backs army plan to disarm Hezbollah, Shi’ite ministers walk out
Lebanon’s cabinet on Friday endorsed an army plan to disarm Hezbollah as Shi’ite ministers stage walk out in protest....
Greece’s fir forests are vanishing as climate change fuels extreme heat, prolonged drought, and pest outbreaks, leaving once-lush mountains scarred by dying trees.
On the forested slopes of Kalavryta, a village in southwestern Greece, dying fir trees with reddish needles are a vivid sign of the environmental toll caused by climate change.
The Greek fir, Abies cephalonica, which thrives in moist and cool conditions, is now struggling during recurring droughts and record-breaking heat. These stressors have also made the trees more susceptible to destructive wood-boring beetles.
Experts like forest entomologist Dimitrios Avtzis warn that these pests, though less populous than bark beetles, are just as deadly, disrupting the trees’ nutrient transport system and accelerating their decline.
Katerina Kolirou, head of the local forest service, notes a dramatic shift: “We used to look for dead trees among the green. Now we’re searching for green among the dead.”
Research shows Greece's average temperatures have risen by 1.5°C — and up to 2°C in some mountain areas, while snow cover, a key moisture source for firs, has dropped by 30–40%.
Kalavryta authorities plan to cut down dead trees to slow the spread, but scientists say this may not be enough.
Greece isn’t alone. In Spain’s Pyrenees, similar declines are being observed in Abies alba. As global temperatures soar, experts stress that the loss of these iconic forests could become a widespread Mediterranean tragedy.
“We can’t create snow,” said meteorologist Kostas Lagouvardos. “All we can do is try to slow the damage.”
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
Pakistan’s eastern towns of Chiniot and Hafizabad are at risk of devastating floods if an irrigation barrage on a major upstream river collapses after torrential rains pushed it beyond capacity, officials warned on Thursday.
Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain have signed an agreement with China to jointly develop a $220 million solar energy project.
A deadly landslide triggered by heavy rain struck a major Hindu pilgrimage route in Jammu, killing at least 30 people and disrupting communication across the region.
Wind farm developer Orsted's plan to raise much-needed capital is at risk following a U.S. order to halt construction of a near-complete project, and the Danish group's share price could come under pressure on Monday, analysts said.
Brazil’s government has ruled out subsidising hotel costs for delegates attending the COP30 climate summit in Belém this November, despite growing concerns over soaring accommodation prices.
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