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South Korea says it must hold further talks with Washington before a promised reduction in U.S. import tariffs on Korean cars can take effect, leaving...
The Great Barrier Reef has suffered its most significant coral decline in nearly four decades, according to a report released on Wednesday by the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences (AIMS).
The reef’s northern and southern zones recorded the steepest annual drop in hard coral cover since AIMS began monitoring the ecosystem 39 years ago. Coral loss ranged from 25% to 33%, reversing recent years of steady growth.
Mike Emslie, who leads AIMS' long-term monitoring programme, said the system is displaying signs of distress.
“We are now seeing increased volatility in the levels of hard coral cover,” he explained, adding, “This is a phenomenon that emerged over the last 15 years and points to an ecosystem under stress.”
The reef, which stretches 2,400 kilometres off Queensland's coast, is the world’s largest living structure and a critical marine habitat. It has endured five mass coral bleaching events since 2016, caused by extreme heat linked to climate change.
The 2024 bleaching episode was the most extensive ever recorded, with “high to extreme” bleaching reported across all three reef regions, AIMS said.
Despite these alarming findings, the Great Barrier Reef has not been added to UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites in danger. However, the UN body has maintained its recommendation for such a listing, citing ongoing environmental threats.
Australia, which earns A$6.4 billion ($4.2 billion) annually from reef-related tourism, has repeatedly lobbied against the designation, warning it could affect international visitor numbers.
The federal government has committed funding and introduced climate adaptation measures, but environmental groups say more aggressive action is needed to curb carbon emissions and protect the reef.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will send an upgraded ‘version 3.0’ free-trade agreement to their heads of government for approval in October, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday after regional talks in Kuala Lumpur.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
Torrential monsoon rains continue to wreak havoc across northern and eastern India, with widespread flooding reported in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Overflowing rivers, submerged streets, and landslides have left residents stranded and local infrastructure overwhelmed.
Volcanoes can ground planes, bury towns, and reshape landscapes in hours. With over 850 eruptions since 2015, Earth is constantly reminding us of its raw power, but why does it erupt, and what can we expect next?
Beijing had evacuated over 70,000 residents by Monday afternoon as authorities issued fresh warnings of intense rainfall, just a week after deadly floods left dozens dead in the city’s worst deluge since 2012.
Plastic pollution is causing more than $1.5 trillion in health-related economic damage each year and is linked to illness and death throughout the human lifespan, according to a new review published in 'The Lancet' on Sunday.
More than 2,500 people have had to leave their homes in southern South Korean after torrential rains swept across the country during Sunday night, inundating houses and roads in six major cities and provinces. Emergency shelters filled as families sought refuge.
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