Palau the first nation to ratify the High Seas Treaty

Palau has become the first nation to officially approve and sanction the UN High Seas Treaty at the UN headquarters in New York, with Chile now soon to follow after its Senate voted unanimously in favour of ratifying the historic conservation agreement. Together, they are the first two of the 60 countries needed to ratify the treaty by the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France to keep ocean protection goals in sight.

The symbolic "Doomsday Clock" - set every year by top scientists and security experts - has been held at 90 seconds to midnight for the second time in a row. This is in large part due to countries upgrading their nuclear arsenals instead of abandoning them, while massive floods, fires and other climate disasters have threatened billions of lives and livelihoods including record-shattering temperatures caused by mankind's reluctance to turn away from fossil fuels.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has released its annual report on the electricity market. It has found that renewables -- in particular from solar panels -- should see their share of total electricity production surpass a third of the total, passing from 30 percent last year to 37 percent in 2026. The IEA says that this strong growth in renewables will outpace the increased demand for electricity in industrialised countries as part of efforts to reach carbon neutrality.

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Palau and Chile first countries to ratify deal to protect international waters
Chile and Palau have become the first two countries to ratify a landmark UN treaty for the protection of the high seas.

'Doomsday Clock' remains at 90 seconds to midnight
The symbolic "Doomsday Clock" has been held at 90 seconds to midnight for the second year in a row, reflecting existential threats to humanity posed by potential nuclear escalations and the multiplying impacts of the climate crisis.

King coal set to lose crown for electricity production: IEA
Renewables are set to displace coal as the top source of energy for electricity production globally in 2025, says the International Energy Agency.

Tropical Cyclone Kirrily: are back-to-back summer storms normal for Queensland?
As the planet warms from the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, climate scientists expect to see fewer cyclones forming, but those that do form will likely be more intense.

World increasingly underprepared for ‘overlooked’ weather problem
Australians are among the one billion people whose homes will become unlivable because of humidity with researchers warning that authorities are underprepared for tackling the threat.

Ocean pollution tackled by Australian volunteers in the first World Ocean Day Down Under
New data gathered by citizen scientists is helping researchers understand more about plastic pollution in Australia's marine environments. 

Scientists spot previously unknown colonies of emperor penguins in Antarctica
Previously unknown colonies of emperor penguins - the world’s largest penguins, also considered near threatened with extinction - have been spotted in new satellite imagery.