Authorities say a humpback whale found dead this week off a Danish island has been identified as the animal released two weeks ago in a spectacular and contentious rescue effort. The whale had repeatedly become stranded off Germany’s Baltic Sea coast. The dead whale was stranded on Thursday just off the small island of Anholt in the Kattegat, the broad strait between Denmark and Sweden that connects the Baltic Sea to the North Sea. The site is south of the location where the whale that gained the nicknames “Timmy” and “Hope” was released on May 2 after being transported toward the North Sea in a barge.
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Nations across Asia are pushing for the use of more biofuels in transportation in order to slash dependence on imported fossil fuels, which have been disrupted by the Iran war. Asia is hardest hit by the ongoing energy shock since most of the fossil fuel shipments through the now-closed Strait of Hormuz were Asia-bound. India is considering allowing vehicles to run on 85%, or even 100% ethanol. Meanwhile, Indonesia and Malaysia are both racing to increase fuel blending with similar ambitions of cutting back on imported fuels. Experts are split on the climate benefit of these fuels, with some stressing that other forms of renewable energy would likely be more efficient.
The U.S. Postal Service is releasing special edition stamps featuring the bald eagle for America's 250th birthday. The stamps issued Thursday depict the eagle across five life stages, from hatchling to adult. The eagle has long symbolized American values like strength, freedom and independence, but the bird is also considered a major conservation success story. In the mid-1900s, eagles nearly vanished due to pesticide poisoning. A 1972 ban on the chemical helped their recovery. The artist behind the collection spent nearly a year on the illustrations and hopes the stamps inspire appreciation for the natural world.
Dust storms, heavy rain, and lightning have damaged homes and killed at least 96 people in northern India. The storms also knocked out power and caused injuries as they swept across several districts late Wednesday in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state. Officials said some deaths were caused by falling trees, collapsing structures and lightning. Emergency crews worked overnight to restore power and clear roads. Storms are common in northern India during the hot season from March to June, before the annual monsoon rains arrive.
Somalia is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate shocks, and now it is in the grip of another deadly drought. But this time the Trump administration's cuts in U.S. humanitarian aid mean that Somalis have much less help. Aid funding to Somalia dropped to $500 million in 2025 in large part because of those aid cuts. In 2022, aid funding was nearly five times as much at $2.38 billion. The Associated Press visited Somalia and witnessed the carcasses of livestock on which many people's livelihoods survive. Crops have withered. Some families are eating one simple meal a day.
Two bald eagle hatchlings have been spotted in a Chicago park in what experts believe is a first for the Windy City in more than a century. Chicago Park District officials say the two eaglets hatched in a nest on the city's Southeast Side. The officials say they first noticed nesting activity in February and the first eaglet was spotted April 28. A second eaglet has since been confirmed in the same nest. Eagles are not uncommon sights in Chicago-area parks, but the agency wasn't aware of any successful breeding until now.
Panicked consumers in hard-hit Asia are turning to rooftop solar power as costs climb due to the Iran war. China is the biggest provider of clean energy technology and poised to profit from that higher demand. Its exports of solar equipment hit a record high in March as global interest in solar power surged. The Philippines is in the midst of a national energy emergency. A survey of 20 local solar companies there indicates a 70% increase in weekly installations and a six-fold jump in customer inquirers since the conflict began. Experts say continued Iran war-caused demand will cement China's lead in the renewable energy sector.
The global maritime industry is facing a looming shortage of the fuel that powers ships as the Iran war chokes off a key shipping lane in the Strait of Hormuz. About 80% of globally traded goods are transported by sea. Ship operators rely on a sludgelike substance known as bunker fuel to move those goods. The world’s largest ship refueling hub is Southeast Asia, which places the region at the center of growing concerns as prices skyrocket. Experts say consumers and companies should brace for price spikes to shipping costs and impacts to bottom lines. Interest in “green” fuels could grow.
Hundreds of climbers are attempting to scale Mount Everest despite an unstable ice block dangerously hanging over the key trail, high travel c…
AP Wire
President Donald Trump is moving to suspend the federal tax on gasoline to help Americans shoulder surging fuel prices caused by the Iran war. The president can't suspend the federal tax on his own. Congress would have to approve the move. Lawmakers from both parties have pushed for a gas-tax suspension, saying it would provide much-needed relief for families and businesses that rely on their cars and trucks to get to work and school and run everyday errands. The federal tax is currently set at 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon on diesel fuel. That does not include state taxes, which often are higher. As of Monday, the average national gas price was $4.52 a gallon, according to the AAA motor club, 50% higher than before the war.