Britain's Prince William will on Friday announce the first finalists of his multi-million-pound environmental prize, which he said he had set up in response to world leaders' uninspiring response to the climate change crisis.
The first Asian giant hornet nest of the year has been found in Washington state, and plans are being developed to eradicate it, likely next week, the state's agriculture department said on Thursday.
China will plant 36,000 square kilometres of new forest a year - more than the total area of Belgium - from this year to 2025 as it bids to combat climate change and better protect natural habitats, a senior forestry official said on Friday.
Tropical storm Grace is strengthening over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico and is expected to regain hurricane force later on Friday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest advisory.
China is facing a high profile test of its commitment to curbing industrial pollution after steel output surged in the first half of the year to well beyond its target of capping production at 2020's peak, sending emissions to new highs.