Iran says defence programme not up for negotiation in nuclear talks
Iran has made clear it will not include its defence capabilities in any future talks over its nuclear programme, as diplomatic contacts resume followi...
Floods driven by climate change are raising the danger of long-banned toxic chemicals resurfacing in rivers, soil, and food chains, according to a new UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report.
The Frontiers 2025 report highlights floods as a growing threat that can stir up harmful substances buried in sediments and infrastructure over decades or centuries. These toxins risk spreading across agricultural lands, urban areas, and freshwater sources, endangering both human health and ecosystems.
“Floodwaters can remobilize chemicals thought safely buried,” the report said, warning that increasing extreme weather linked to global warming is amplifying this risk.
Experts note many of these persistent chemicals, banned under international agreements like the 2006 Stockholm Convention, remain trapped in riverbeds, landfills, and contaminated sites. Flooding events can release them back into the environment, allowing them to bioaccumulate in wildlife and humans.
Low-lying and coastal populations are particularly vulnerable, as more people worldwide settle in flood-prone areas. UNEP officials urge governments to strengthen water management, environmental monitoring, and emergency planning to address these risks.
Industrial toxins such as persistent bioaccumulative and toxic substances (PBTs), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and asbestos are among the dangerous chemicals that floods may release. Despite bans and restrictions, these compounds continue to appear in water systems globally, posing long-term health threats.
UNEP experts also highlight the urgent need to improve early warning systems and monitoring capabilities, especially in vulnerable regions, to better manage and mitigate the impact of chemical pollution linked to climate-driven flooding.
“Preventing contamination is far more cost-effective than dealing with its aftermath,” the report stresses, calling for greater policy attention to these emerging environmental challenges.
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.
Eight people, including an Irish missionary and a 3-year-old child, are missing after armed men stormed a well-known orphanage near Haiti’s capital, according to authorities and aid officials.
Iran has made clear it will not include its defence capabilities in any future talks over its nuclear programme, as diplomatic contacts resume following the June conflict with Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to request cabinet approval for a significant expansion of Israel’s military activity in Gaza, according to several Israeli media reports.
Firefighters are struggling to contain a fast-moving wildfire in central California that has injured three people and is threatening hundreds of homes.
Two people were killed and six others wounded after gunfire broke out at an after-party linked to a weekend music festival in downtown Los Angeles.
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