Brazilian Amazon deforestation falls to lowest on record as pivotal vote looms

16 October 2026 at 20:37

Forest clearance at smallest total since records began in 1988 in success for Lula ahead of presidential run-off

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has fallen to its lowest level since records began, new government data shows.

But whether this globally important success is maintained or reversed is on a knife edge ahead of a presidential election run-off on 25 October between two candidates with sharply different visions for the future of the rainforest and how that affects relations with the US under Donald Trump.

Flash floods destroy villages in central Nepal

The Guardian - Europe

By: Matt Andrews and Ed Walton for MetDesk

16 October 2026 at 11:12

Landslide blocks river and triggers downstream flooding, while summer temperatures persist in Portugal

Flash floods have swept through Nepal’s central Gorkha district after a pre-dawn landslide on 11 October blocked the Budhi Gandaki River, triggering severe downstream flooding. Two villages in the worst-affected Chumanubri rural municipality were reportedly destroyed, with homes, roads and bridges washed away. Part of a hydropower station was also damaged.

After river levels surged from 2 metres to nearly 8.5 metres within hours, the national disaster risk reduction and management authority reported that 204 homes were damaged, and more than 650 people had been affected. More than 100 foreign trekkers were stranded in the popular hiking region. The floods come just two months after catastrophic flooding and landslides devastated parts of the country on the border with Tibet, leaving thousands dead or missing.

Flash floods destroy villages in central Nepal

The Guardian - World news

By: Matt Andrews and Ed Walton for MetDesk

16 October 2026 at 11:12

Landslide blocks river and triggers downstream flooding, while summer temperatures persist in Portugal

Flash floods have swept through Nepal’s central Gorkha district after a pre-dawn landslide on 11 October blocked the Budhi Gandaki River, triggering severe downstream flooding. Two villages in the worst-affected Chumanubri rural municipality were reportedly destroyed, with homes, roads and bridges washed away. Part of a hydropower station was also damaged.

After river levels surged from 2 metres to nearly 8.5 metres within hours, the national disaster risk reduction and management authority reported that 204 homes were damaged, and more than 650 people had been affected. More than 100 foreign trekkers were stranded in the popular hiking region. The floods come just two months after catastrophic flooding and landslides devastated parts of the country on the border with Tibet, leaving thousands dead or missing.

Egypt’s Climate-Resilient ‘Super Corals’ Are Starting to Feel the Heat

Wired

By: Eli Siegel-Bernstein

16 October 2026 at 10:00

Scientists can’t agree why reefs in the Red Sea have long been immune to bleaching. The answer could be the key to saving these tough corals as climate change begins taking its toll.

Vedanta’s mining ambitions in Odisha and manufactured consent

India’s National Fortnightly Magazine

16 October 2026 at 08:23

Vedanta’s push for bauxite mining in Odisha’s Niyamgiri Hill appears to be gathering momentum, with the State government’s backing. But claims that local communities have approved the project appear dubious at best.

Singapore's iconic skyline is shrouded in a fire-related haze. Here's what it looks like across the island.

Business Insider

By: Huileng Tan

16 October 2026 at 08:13

A man wears a mask as the Singapore skyline is shrouded in haze on October 15, 2026. — Smoke from fires in neighboring Indonesia has blanketed Singapore in haze, disrupting daily life across the city-state.
Joseph Nair/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Smoke from fires in Indonesia has blanketed Singapore in haze, obscuring its iconic skyline.
Air pollution hit its highest level this year on Friday, reaching "very unhealthy" levels.
The haze has disrupted flights, shuttered outdoor sports facilities, and canceled a run for nearly 3,000.

Singapore, the Southeast Asian financial hub known for its futuristic skyline, has been blanketed by milky haze as smoke from fires in neighboring Indonesia drifts across the region.

The haze has affected Singapore for weeks, with conditions deteriorating in recent days. The pollution has disrupted flights, shut down outdoor sports facilities, and prompted organizers to call off a major running event.

On Friday, air quality in parts of Singapore reached "very unhealthy" levels, with pollution readings hitting their highest point this year.

Here's what the haze looks like across the city.

Singapore's landmark skyline fades into the haze

Haze in Singapore October 2026 view of MBS — Aditi Bharade

Marina Bay Sands, the three-towered hotel overlooking Singapore's waterfront, has been shrouded in a milky haze.

Singapore's environmental agency said winds were carrying smoke from fires in Indonesia's Kalimantan region toward the city-state.

Pollution has hit its highest level this year

Singapore's skyscraper is enveloped in smog, 16 october 2006 from the forests fire in Indonesia. — Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images

On Friday, air quality across much of Singapore reached the "very unhealthy" range on the country's Pollutant Standards Index.

At that level, authorities recommend avoiding prolonged or strenuous outdoor activity.

The PSI has been in the unhealthy range since October 5, making it 12 days of poor air in the city.

The last time things looked this foggy in Singapore was during a 14-day period of hazy conditions in 2015. The country has seen shorter episodes of haze conditions in 2019 and 2023, but those blew over within a couple of days.

The haze is affecting air travel

A cleaning truck drives past airplanes parked on the tarmac at Changi Airport in Singapore on October 16, 2026, as the country continues to be shrouded in haze caused by fires in Indonesia. . — Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP/Getty Images

Poor visibility has disrupted flights at Singapore's smaller Seletar Airport, leading to diversions and cancellations.

Both Seletar and the country's main international airport, Changi, remain operational.

Nearly 3,000 runners have had their plans canceled

The Flower Dome, Cloud Forest and Marina Bay Sands are seen in Singapore on October 15, 2026, as the country continues to be shrouded in haze caused by fires in Indonesia. — Felin Lim/AFP/Getty Images

The ISCA Run, scheduled for Saturday at Gardens by the Bay, was canceled because of the haze, affecting almost 3,000 registered participants.

An ISCA spokesperson told Business Insider that organizers made the call early because air conditions remained unpredictable and they were concerned about the safety of runners, including young children taking part in the Family Run.

The pollution is keeping people indoors

A general view shows buildings shrouded with haze in Singapore on October 9, 2026 — Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images

Singapore's public sports operator temporarily closed all outdoor and non-air-conditioned sports facilities it manages across the island on Friday because of the haze.

Indoor, air-conditioned facilities have remained open.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Revealed: VW, Ford and Tesla batteries linked to destructive deforestation of indigenous lands

The Guardian - World news

By: Stefano Valentino in Sulawesi and Ajit Niranjan

16 October 2026 at 08:00

Mines in supply chains of western carmakers linked to widespread deforestation of primary rainforest in nickel-rich lands inhabited by Tolaki people in Indonesia

Volkswagen, Ford and Tesla are among the electric carmakers whose batteries may contain nickel mined in indigenous woodlands plagued by deforestation, an analysis has found, highlighting the struggle to make vehicles that are free from environmental destruction.

Corporate disclosures and trade flows from the last two years show mines in the battery supply chains of automotive giants are linked to the loss of trees in Sulawesi, a wildlife hotspot in Indonesia that houses the world’s largest nickel deposits. The metal is widely used in cathodes in car batteries because it boosts energy density and increases range.

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