Australia bushfires: Cooler weather brings respite, situation still volatile

Five years ago, it was a party. This time it felt more like a town hall reception after a marriage of reason. Two hours after French voters had handed their now 44-year-old president a second term, Emmanuel Macron's acceptance speech was already over and supporters were set to call it an early night beneath the Eiffel Tower. From abroad, many were asking: how can a 15-point margin turn into a sobering affair?

The average global temperature could exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2026, UN meteorologists say. The threshold is one that international agreements are trying to prevent.

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that a Chinese intelligence ship was not in Australia's territorial waters but its presence off the northwestern coast was "concerning."

Australia is counting down to its next federal election on May 21. The environmental crisis is high on voters' minds and smaller parties and independents are gaining momentum by riding a wave of disillusionment over the conservative coalition's lack of climate action. With a hung parliament looking likely, these minor players could force the traditional parties to do more to tackle global warming. Climate change is an increasingly hot-button issue since the country's devastating bushfires of 2019-20. Our correspondents Richelle Harrison Plesse and Gregory Plesse report.

Ethiopia has agreed a reconstruction and recovery grant with the World Bank, to be used to rebuild basic services in conflict-hit regions of the country.

The World Health Organization will open its annual health assembly, bringing together 194 member states in Geneva. Russia's attacks on healthcare facilities in Ukraine will be center stage during the meeting.

For the first time in its over 50-year history, the annual gathering in the Swiss resort town is taking place against the backdrop of a major war in Europe. But that's not the only thing which sets this year's WEF apart.

Australia could become a "renewable energy superpower," said incoming Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. He is due to be sworn in just a day before a Quad summit in Tokyo.

The world is not ready for an age in which environmental degradation meets increased armed conflict, suggests a new report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Datamellon partners with Amazon world service on the Internet of things (iot) revolution and serverless event-driven architectures.

The world's most ignored displacement crises are in Africa, according to an annual ranking. It's the first time all 10 are on the African continent.

Soldiers of the territorial defence force of Ukraine in Kharkiv cheered on their team on Wednesday night when they played in a World Cup qualification play-off match against Scotland. A very small screen in shelter was enough for the men to enjoy their team's 3-1 triumph at Hampden Park in Glasgow.