Asia most impacted by extreme weather and climate in 2023: WMO

Sarote Pruksachat | Moment | Getty Images Asia was the most disaster-hit region in the world last year as extreme weather and climate threats intensified amid global warming, according to the World Meteorological Organization, the UN’s weather agency. “Many countries in the region experienced their hottest year on record in 2023, along with a barrage … Read more

Alphabet issues first-ever dividend, $70 billion buyback

Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai departs federal court on October 30, 2023 in Washington, DC. Pichai testified on Monday to defend his company in the largest antitrust case since the 1990s. Drew Angerer | Getty Images News | Getty Images Alphabet said Thursday that it’s issuing a 20-cent per share dividend, the company’s first ever, and … Read more

At least 32 dead as flash floods wash over half of Kenya

By Larry Madowo | CNN At least 32 people have been killed and two are missing after flash floods swept through almost half of Kenya. Some 103,500 people in all have been affected. Kenya has registered heavy rain since mid-March but downpours have intensified over the past week, leading to mass flooding. The Kenyan Red … Read more

NASA releases satellite photos of record UAE flooding

NASA released photos of parts of Dubai and Abu Dhabi before and after the United Arab Emirates was hit by record rainfall last week that caused dangerous floods and paralyzed much of the country. The images, taken by NASA Earth Observatory on Friday using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey, show large patches of … Read more

Photos show Sahara dust turn Athens orange

Athens and the south of Greece appeared to be coloured in orange and red after dust from the Sahara engulfed the area on Tuesday evening. Strong winds had carried the dust across hundreds of miles from Africa. The dust is expected to clear throughout Wednesday, when winds are set to ease, local media reported. The … Read more

Taiwan rattled by more than 200 aftershocks, no major damage reported

Taiwan’s quake-hit eastern county of Hualien has been rattled by more than 200 aftershocks, but only minor damage has been reported and no casualties. Largely rural and sparsely populated Hualien was hit by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake on April 3 that killed at least 17 people, and there have been more than 1000 aftershocks since. … Read more

Senate advances aid for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, TikTok bill

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., conducts a news conference after the senate luncheons in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, March 12, 2024.  Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images The Senate on Tuesday advanced a package to provide billions in aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, sending the legislation on a glide … Read more

Central Bank asks lenders to defer loan repayments

Cars are stranded on a flooded street in Dubai following heavy rains on April 18, 2024.  Giuseppe Cacace | AFP | Getty Images The United Arab Emirates’ central bank sent a directive to the country’s lenders and insurers approving the deferring of loan repayments for six months, as residents and businesses reel from historic floods … Read more

Global food prices may finally see a bottom in 2024: Oxford Economics

A food shopper searches for vegetables July 1, 2023 at the Hannaford supermarket in South Burlington, Vermont.  Robert Nickelsberg | Getty Images Rising food prices around the world may finally be seeing a bottom this year. According to Oxford Economics, global food prices are expected to decline in 2024, offering some relief for shoppers. “Our … Read more

Taiwan’s east coast hit by 6.0 magnitude earthquake, shocks felt in nation’s capital Taipei

More than 80 earthquakes, the strongest with a 6.0 magnitude, have struck Taiwan’s east coast with some causing buildings to shake in the capital Taipei, the island’s weather administration said. The 6.0 magnitude quake was recorded at a depth of 10km and struck about 2.30am AEST on Tuesday, according to Geoscience Australia. The quakes on … Read more