Global CO2 emissions rebound to near pre-pandemic levels: study

A WHO Europe report advised countries to form a G20 global health board that would coordinate future responses to pandemics and fight inequality. These measures aim to protect global economies too.

Ocean temperatures and water levels are continuing to rise as a result of human intervention. This is having a widespread impact on sealife and weather patterns.

Women who have experienced sexual violence are more likely to develop disruptions to blood flow in the brain, which may contribute to disorders such as dementia and strokes.

A study by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network shows that corals are under siege from global warming. Fourteen percent of the world's corals were lost between 2009 and 2018.

An electrified highway, with infrastructure similar to that used in a tram, is being billed as one of the solutions to reduce the heavy toll of carbon emissions linked to long-haul transport. Electronic giant Siemens has already built the technology on several stretches of German highways, enabling trucks to charge their batteries while they drive. The Down to Earth team went to see how it works.

Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2060, says Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, days before the COP26 global climate summit. In March, Saudi Arabia unveiled a sweeping campaign to tackle climate change and reduce carbon emissions, including a plan to plant billions of trees in the coming decades.

A boat crew casts a net into the seemingly clean waters off Japan's Izu peninsula, but not to catch fish -- they are scooping up microplastics to learn more about the pollution's impact on marine life.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces a much-delayed pledge to meet 2050 net-zero emissions target ahead of a landmark UN climate summit. Widely seen as a climate laggard, Australia is one of the world's largest coal and gas exporters and its conservative government has resisted climate action for most of its eight-year term.

European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen has said a global methane reduction pledge sponsored by the EU and the US will "immediately slow down climate change." Over 80 countries have signed on to the pledge.

After a dramatic drop during the pandemic lockdowns, carbon dioxide emissions are near record levels again, with China's share increasing to nearly a third of the total, researchers say.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Friday.

Disturbing new research has revealed that women who are operated on by a male surgeon, are more likely to die. Annette Young talks to the study's co-author, Dr Angela Jerath, from the University of Toronto. Also as outrage continues over the rising rate of femicide in France, we take a look at what steps are being tan by French authorities to prevent male perpetrators from reoffending. Plus we meet the female space engineers who are working on the Ariane 5 space project to unlock the secrets of humankind's final frontier.