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Torrential rain wreaked havoc across the US Northeast late Monday triggering flash floods that swamped streets, disrupted subway services, and prompted emergency declarations in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. In New York City, emergency services reported widespread flash flooding in parts of the city and the mid-Hudson region. Startling videos circulated online showed floodwaters cascading into Manhattan subway stations, submerging platforms as stunned passengers remained inside stalled trains. In one clip, commuters were seen standing on train seats to avoid rising water levels inside the coaches. Subway service was severely impacted. Some lines were suspended altogether while others operated with major delays, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority confirmed. Key highwa...

Swedish telecom equipment giant Ericsson has reported a sharp 32.5 per cent drop in its net sales in India during the second quarter of 2025, with revenues falling to USD 230 million (approximately ₹1,974 crore). The decline is attributed to Indian telecom operators slowing down their investments in network infrastructure, as revealed in the company’s latest quarterly earnings report. In the corresponding quarter last year, Ericsson’s sales in India stood at around USD 341 million, accounting for 6 per cent of the company’s global revenue. This share has now slipped to 4 per cent, as operators adopt a cautious approach toward network expansion and upgrades. “Sales in India were weak, as operators held back on new network investments,” the company noted in its Q2 performance review. D...

  In a renewed push toward global climate cooperation, China and the European Union are preparing to unveil new climate action plans aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions. The announcement comes after both major emitters missed earlier deadlines to submit updated targets to the United Nations under the Paris Agreement framework. European Commission climate envoy Teresa Ribera, following high-level discussions in Beijing, confirmed that Chinese officials indicated a forthcoming national climate strategy. The new plan is expected to align with global efforts to limit temperature rise and will be officially presented ahead of the COP30 U.N. climate summit scheduled for November in Brazil. Ribera noted that both sides are committed to drafting robust nationally determined con...

As climate change intensifies, the delicate ecological relationship between wild vanilla plants and their pollinators is under serious threat. A new study published in Frontiers in Plant Science warns that by 2050, up to 90 per cent of these natural pollination links could be broken, endangering the future of one of the world’s most valuable crops. Led by Charlotte Watteyn of KU Leuven and Costa Rica’s Lankester Botanical Garden Research Centre, researchers used climate models to study 11 wild vanilla species and seven insect pollinators. The findings show a troubling future: while some vanilla species may expand their range under changing climates, most could lose critical contact with their native pollinators, particularly orchid bees, which are essential for their reproduction. Th...

  As the United States mulls a sweeping 500 per cent tariff on nations continuing to import Russian oil, India finds itself at a pivotal juncture one where climate ambition, geopolitical resilience, and economic justice must converge. The proposed legislation, introduced by US Senator Lindsey Graham, targets countries like India and China, accusing them of indirectly funding Russia’s war effort through crude purchases. For India, which now sources over 40 per cent of its crude oil from Russia up from less than one per cent before the Ukraine war the implications are immense. If passed, the bill could disrupt India’s export sectors and shake the foundation of bilateral trade with the US, one of its key partners. But beyond the immediate diplomatic and economic fallout, the moment...

In a diplomatic push to accelerate global climate action, European Union Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra urged China to take greater responsibility in reducing greenhouse gas emissions calling on the world largest polluter to scale back its growing reliance on coal. During high-level talks in Beijing, Hoekstra underscored the urgent need for global collaboration and emphasized that China actions in the coming months could significantly shape the outcome of the COP30 climate summit in Brazil later this year. The commissioner’s visit comes amid mounting international concern over China’s expanding coal infrastructure. A Greenpeace report recently revealed that China approved 11.29 gigawatts of new coal-fired power capacity in the first quarter of 2025 an amount that surpasses approval...

  In a heart-wrenching incident highlighting the deadly impact of extreme weather, lightning strikes claimed the lives of two women and left three others injured in Uttar Pradesh’s Bhadohi district on Saturday. The victims were working in agricultural fields when the sudden strikes occurred in separate villages. Police said 55-year-old Sudhna Devi was fatally struck by lightning in Samdha Khas village while tending to crops. Her relatives, Rita Devi, 42, and her 18-year-old daughter Antima, suffered serious burns and are currently undergoing treatment at a local community health centre. In a separate incident in Hathia Dih village, 19-year-old Sonam Saroj died on the spot after being hit by a lightning bolt. Her cousin, 20-year-old Sandhya Saroj, was injured and also admitted...

India has taken a major step toward aligning its financial system with climate goals by unveiling its draft Climate Finance Taxonomy, a structured framework aimed at defining what constitutes climate-aligned investments in the country. The draft, released in June 2025 by the Union Ministry of Finance’s Department of Economic Affairs, was developed in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, SEBI, and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It is seen as a timely intervention in the effort to steer billions of dollars in finance toward India’s green transition, especially as the nation moves toward becoming a $10 trillion economy while remaining committed to its 2070 net-zero target. The taxonomy attempts to bring clarity and credibility to green finance a space ofte...

In a landmark diplomatic and development mission, Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), concluded a five-nation African tour aimed at expanding cancer care and promoting the peaceful use of nuclear technology across the continent. Visiting Ethiopia, Rwanda, Malawi, Kenya, and Liberia, Grossi reinforced the IAEA’s commitment to health, food security, energy access, and environmental resilience in low- and middle-income countries. At the heart of his visit was the scaling up of Rays of Hope, the IAEA’s flagship initiative launched in 2022 to close the cancer care gap in underserved nations. With cancer now a leading cause of death in Africa surpassing malaria and tuberculosis the initiative focuses on supporting countries in establishing...

In a renewed diplomatic push, European Union Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra has called on China to take a leading role in the global effort to cut emissions, urging the world’s top carbon emitter to reduce its coal dependency and demonstrate climate leadership ahead of the COP30 summit in Brazil. Hoekstra made the appeal during high-level discussions in Beijing, as both sides attempt to deepen cooperation on environmental goals amid escalating concerns over the worsening climate crisis. Speaking at the end of the meeting, Hoekstra emphasized that the EU remains open to forging a joint climate declaration with China, but cautioned that such a partnership would depend on Beijing’s willingness to commit to concrete, ambitious emission reductions. “We are running out of time,” Hoekstra...