Woman missing in the wilderness for nearly a week found alive suffering from snakebite
Saheed Khan via Getty Images
(LONDON) — A woman who went missing more than a week ago in the wilderness has been found alive suffering from a snakebite, officials said.
The 48-year-old female hiker, who hasn’t been publicly identified, went missing in the Snowy Mountains region in the southern part of New South Wales in Australia on Monday, Oct. 21.
Her disappearance was reported to officers attached to the Monaro Police District who “immediately commenced inquiries into her whereabouts,” according to a statement from New South Wales Police Force on Sunday.
“A command post was established at the Kiandra Courthouse, on the Snowy Mountains Highway, Kiandra and a search was launched,” authorities said. “The wide-scale search involved officers attached to Monaro Police District with assistance from the Mounted Unit, Dog Unit, SES, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Rural Fire Service and a Surf Life Saving Helicopter. Members of the public also assisted.”
After nearly a week surviving on her own in challenging and rugged bushland terrain, the missing and injured woman was found at approximately 4:50 p.m. local time on Sunday by a National Parks and Wildlife officer on the Nungar Creek Trail at Kiandra, NSW police said.
“She was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics for exposure and what is believed to be a snake bite, before she was taken to Cooma District Hospital in a stable condition,” police continued.
It was unclear if the woman was on her own or if she became separated from a group when she went missing.
“Police would like to thank those involved in the multi-agency search, members of the public and the media for their assistance.”
Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike on the outskirts of the southern village of Habbouch on September 23, 2024. (Photo by RABIH DAHER/AFP via Getty Images)
(LONDON) — The Israeli military expanded its Lebanon campaign with hundreds of airstrikes early on Monday, as the long-simmering border conflict with Hezbollah threatened to explode into a larger war.
Dozens of Israeli warplanes struck more than 300 targets in southern Lebanon on Monday morning, according to an Israel Defense Forces count posted to X.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said at least 100 people were killed and more than 400 wounded in the ongoing strikes, among them women, children and medical personnel.
The attacks coincided with a warning by from IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari of more planned Israeli strikes against Hezbollah “terrorist infrastructure” in the border region and elsewhere.
“Shortly, the IDF will engage in extensive, precise strikes, against terror targets which have been embedded widely throughout Lebanon,” Hagari said early Monday.
“We advise civilians from Lebanese villages located in and next to buildings and areas used by Hezbollah for military purposes, such as those used to store weapons, to immediately move out of harm’s way for their own safety.”
Hezbollah returned fire across the border with at least 25 projectiles, the IDF said, with alarms sounding across the region. Some munitions were intercepted and some fell in open areas, the force wrote on social media.
Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service reported one man injured by shrapnel in the Lower Galilee area and another lightly hurt while making his way to a shelter.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a social media post that Israel “will act with full force” to change the current situation in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Katz said, “has taken the people of Lebanon hostage, placing missiles and weapons in their homes and villages to threaten Israel’s civilians.”
“This is a clear war crime,” Katz said. “We will not accept this reality.”
“The people of Lebanon must evacuate any home turned into a Hezbollah outpost to avoid harm,” Katz continued. “We will not stop until the threat is removed from Israel’s citizens and the residents of the north return safely to their homes.”
Thousands of Lebanese cell phone users received a text message from the IDF on Monday, warning: “If you are in a building where Hezbollah weapons are located, stay away from the village until further notice.” Similar messages were issued over Lebanese radio.
The fresh Israeli warnings come after a weekend of intense cross-border fire, with rockets, missiles and drones launched into Israel by Hezbollah met with Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon.
Fighting between the IDF and Hezbollah has been constant since Oct. 8, when the Iranian-backed militant group began attacks into Israel in protest of the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip targeting Hamas. Hezbollah has said it will continue its attacks until Israeli forces withdraw from the Palestinian territory.
Tens of thousands of Israelis fled border regions under Hezbollah fire since the fighting began. Their return is a priority for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government.
“We will take whatever action is necessary to restore security and to bring our people safe back to their homes,” Netanyahu said on Sunday.
Israeli leaders are also demanding that Hezbollah withdraw beyond the Litani River — some 18 miles north of the Israeli border — as stipulated in a 2006 United Nations Security Council resolution that sought to end the last major cross-border war.
“If the world does not withdraw Hezbollah north of Litani in accordance with Resolution 1701 — Israel will do so,” Katz said on Sunday.
The conflict intensified last week with Israel’s detonation of Hezbollah communication devices in Lebanon and Syria, which Nasrallah described as an “unprecedented blow” for the group.
Two consecutive days of explosions — which killed at least 37 people and wounded 2,931, according to Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad — were followed by the killing of Hezbollah operations chief Ibrahim Aqil and 14 other members in a Beirut airstrike.
The bombing in the Hezbollah-aligned Dahiya suburb killed at least 45 people, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. The dead included at least three children — aged 4, 6 and 10 — and seven women, the ministry said. Dozens more people were wounded.
Hezbollah leaders said they would continue their operations despite last week’s setbacks.
Deputy Secretary General Naim Qasem spoke at Aqil’s funeral in Beirut on Sunday, telling hundreds of mourners that the conflict has now entered “a new phase” which he called an “open-ended battle of reckoning”.
“Threats won’t stop us, and we don’t fear the most dangerous possibilities,” he continued. “We are ready to face all military scenarios.”
Israeli communities in the north of the country are braced for further escalation. The IDF issued new security guidance on Sunday closing schools and beaches in the region, while the Rambam Hospital in Haifa transferred patients to an underground facility.
This weekend, the State Department reissued its level 4 “do not travel” warning for Lebanon, noting “recent explosions throughout Lebanon, including Beirut.”
The Department’s July warning for American citizens to “depart Lebanon while commercial options still remain available” is unchanged. “At this time, commercial flights are available, but at reduced capacity,” the advisory said.
“If the security situation worsens, commercial options to depart may become unavailable.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin “reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to Israel’s right to defend itself and stressed the importance of achieving a diplomatic solution to return citizens to their homes in the north” in a Sunday phone call with Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant, per a Pentagon readout.
Austin also “emphasized his concern for the safety and security of U.S. citizens in the region,” the Pentagon said.
ABC News’ Dana Savir, Ghazi Balkiz and Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — The climate crisis is not a distant threat; it’s happening right now and affecting what matters most to us. Hurricanes intensified by a warming planet and drought-fueled wildfires are destroying our communities. Rising seas and flooding are swallowing our homes. And record-breaking heatwaves are reshaping our way of life.
The good news is we know how to turn the tide and avoid the worst possible outcomes. However, understanding what needs to be done can be confusing due to a constant stream of climate updates, scientific findings, and critical decisions that are shaping our future.
That’s why the ABC News Climate and Weather Unit is cutting through the noise by curating what you need to know to keep the people and places you care about safe. We are dedicated to providing clarity amid the chaos, giving you the facts and insights necessary to navigate the climate realities of today — and tomorrow.
Dangerous hurricanes are being made even worse because of climate change, study finds
Hurricanes are getting stronger, and humans are primarily to blame. A new study from Climate Central adds to a growing body of evidence that human-amplified climate change is indeed leading to more intense storms.
The study, published in the journal Environmental Research: Climate, found that 84% of Atlantic hurricanes between 2019 and 2023 were, on average, 18 mph stronger because of climate change. That additional wind speed resulted in 30 hurricanes reaching an entire category higher in strength (Category 3 to Category 4 or Category 4 to Category 5, for example) compared to a world without human-amplified climate change.
The researchers say sea surface temperatures are being made hotter by global warming, fueling these rapidly intensifying cyclones. The authors cite Hurricane Milton as an example. They found that Milton intensified by 120 mph in under 36 hours. At the time, ocean temperatures were at record levels or near record levels, which Climate Central’s Climate Shift Index: Ocean determined were made 400 to 800 times more likely by climate change.
Over the past half-century, the ocean has stored more than 90% of the excess energy trapped in Earth’s system by greenhouse gases and other factors, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“Every hurricane in 2024 was stronger than it would have been 100 years ago,” Dr. Daniel Gilford, climate scientist at Climate Central and lead author of the study and report, said in a statement. “Through record-breaking ocean warming, human carbon pollution is worsening hurricane catastrophes in our communities.”
The researchers identified three storms between 2019 and 2023 that became Category 5 hurricanes, the highest level on the scale, because of our changing climate.
When the scientists applied the same study methodology to storms in 2024, they determined it was unlikely Beryl and Milton would have reached Category 5 status without the impact of climate change. And they found that every Atlantic hurricane in 2024 saw an increased maximum wind speed, ranging from 9 to 28 mph, because human-amplified climate change resulted in elevated ocean temperatures.
Since 1980, tropical cyclones, a generic term for hurricanes and tropical storms, have cost communities $1.4 trillion in damages and claimed more than 7,200 lives, according to The National Center for Environmental Information.
-ABC News Climate Unit’s Matthew Glasser and ABC News meteorologist Dan Peck
Biden pledges $325 million in clean tech funding for developing nations
On Tuesday, the Biden administration announced $325 million in funding to the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) for global clean energy projects. The funding comes as climate leadership conferences continue worldwide, with COP29 underway in Azerbaijan and the G20 summit in Brazil.
Projects range from implementing renewable energy sources, like solar and wind, to more efficient energy use in transportation.
The Clean Technology Fund provides money for permanent climate projects for middle-income and developing countries, allowing them to jump the financial hurdle and implement much-needed new green tech and energy.
Nine countries currently give money to the Fund through grants and loans. Operated by the World Bank, the program distributes money to eligible countries through global development banks.
This financial commitment is another example of the Biden administration trying to lock in climate funding and programs before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
Since 2022, the U.S. has contributed $1.56 billion in concessional loans to the fund, and in October of this year, they contributed another $20 million in grants. Since it was established in 2008, the Fund has contributed $7.28 billion in loans and grants globally.
A report released last week highlighted that advancing climate progress in middle-income countries is crucial for setting the world on a path to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. These countries are not only the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, but they also host the majority of the world’s nature and biodiversity.
-ABC News’ Charlotte Slovin
Countries pledge to reduce potent greenhouse gas that comes from food waste at COP29
As the world’s nations try to decide on a plan of action for limiting the impacts of climate change, the head of the United Nations Environment Programme says reducing methane emissions could be the “emergency brake” the world needs.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas responsible for about 30% of the rise in global temperatures since industrialization, according to the International Energy Agency.
“Reducing methane emissions this decade is our emergency brake in the climate remit,” Martina Otto, head of the Secretariat, Climate and Clean Air Coalition at the UNEP, said at a press conference with the COP29 presidency.
“To cut the emergency we need to harness the fact that methane has a much higher global warming potential and is shorter lived in the atmosphere, which means we can curb near-term warming.”
Tuesday is food, water and agriculture day at COP29 – an occasion marked this year by a new agreement to cut methane emissions from food waste.
Over 30 countries have already committed to the Declaration on Reducing Methane from Organic Waste, which targets methane emissions from organic waste like food. The move complements additional global efforts to tackle methane emissions, including the Global Methane Pledge, which aims to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030.
“Urgent work is needed to help the agricultural sectors adapt to a warming planet,” COP29 lead negotiator Yalchin Rafiyev said.
Rafiyev explained that the Baku Harmoniya Climate Initiative for Farmers — an effort launched by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the COP29 presidency — will give farmers tools for building climate resilience and secure funding.
“We are also committed to taking every opportunity for mitigation, particularly on methane,” Rafiyev said, noting previous COP’s progress on methane emissions. “We must address all the major sources of methane emissions, including fossil fuels, agriculture and organic waste.”
“Transforming agriculture and food systems is going to be critical if we are to achieve the Paris Agreement, whether it’s on the side of adaptation and building resilience, or indeed on the side of mitigation,” Kaveh Zahedi, director of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment at the FAO, said. “And on this food, agriculture and water day, we’re so delighted that the cop 29 presidency has been shining a light on this.”
-ABC News Climate Unit’s Kelly Livingston
UN climate lead says millions of lives are at stake and delegates should ‘cut the theatrics’
As COP29, the annual U.N. global climate conference, heads into its second and final week, the United Nations’ top climate representative is reminding delegates of what’s at stake if they fail to act now.
During his opening remarks on Monday, Simon Stiell, the U.N. climate change executive secretary, chastised the delegates, warning them that they are losing sight of the forest because they are “tussling over individual trees” and that “bluffing, brinksmanship and pre-mediated playbooks burn up precious time.”
“So let’s cut the theatrics and get down to real business,” he said.
Later in the day, Stiell urged climate leaders and public officials to unite on adaptation policy and finance.
“This year, we saw how every bit of preparation – every policy, every plan – is the difference between life and death for millions of people around the world,” Stiell said.
Stiell emphasized that we know how to adapt to our changing climate technologically but need the will to act.
“We have the tools, the science, the ability to achieve these outcomes,” he said.
The biggest roadblock, he said, is ensuring countries have enough money to do the work.
“Of course, we cannot ignore the adaptation elephant in the room: there is a stark financial gap we must bridge,” Stiell said.
According to Stiell, the expenses associated with adaptation are rapidly increasing, especially for developing nations. By 2030, these expenses could amount to $340 billion annually and soar to $565 billion annually by 2050. Without proper funding, he said billions of lives are on the line.
“The IPCC’s Working Group II report told us that almost half the human population live in climate vulnerable hotspots, where people are 15 times more likely to die from climate impacts,” Stiell said.
Stiell encouraged public and private sector funders to rise to the occasion and meet global needs in new ways.
“Think beyond traditional grants and loans,” Stiell said. “Philanthropies, the private sector, and bilateral donors must step up with the urgency that this crisis demands.”
He added, “The funding exists. We need to unlock and unblock it.”
-ABC News’ Charlotte Slovin
Hundreds of US counties lack sufficient air quality monitoring
Cities, counties and government agencies use air quality monitors to measure the pollutants and particulates that can cause significant health problems. However, according to a new report, hundreds of counties across the United States lack these essential measurement tools.
According to the American Lung Association’s 2024 State of the Air report, more than two-thirds of U.S. counties do not have official ground-based air quality monitoring stations. As a result, dangerous levels of pollution are going undetected and unaddressed.
The association used satellite data to estimate that 300 of the 2,700 U.S. counties with incomplete or no air monitoring data had potentially failing grade levels of fine particulate matter between 2020 and 2022.
Lexi Popovici, lead report author and a senior manager of the American Lung Association, said satellite data could help fill the data gap left by the missing air monitors and help people and officials, particularly in rural areas, take protective measures. She said the technology could also supplement existing ground monitors and ultimately create a more comprehensive air quality monitoring system.
“Using satellite data actually helps fill in those gaps to identify pollution in places that might otherwise go undetected, and this can help millions of Americans understand what air quality they are breathing,” Popovici said.
Fine particulate pollution is a mix of solid or liquid particles suspended in the air – smaller than a strand of human hair – that can be present even in air that looks clean, according to the EPA. These pollutants are considered the most dangerous forms of air pollution and are linked to asthma, lung and heart disease, and other respiratory health issues.
Popovici said subsequent reports will focus more on the potential of community air quality resources and ways to mitigate environmental injustices.
Kianoosh Sanjari speak onstage at the Amnesty International Concert presented by the CBGB Festival at Barclays Center on February 5, 2014 in New York City (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for CBGB).
(LONDON) — Prominent Iranian political activist, Kianoosh Sanjari, who took his own life on Wednesday in an act of protest, was buried Friday morning in Tehran. In a final post on his X account he said the decision was to protest against what he called the dictatorship of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Sanjari jumped off a five-story building in a busy area of Tehran on Wednesday after writing on his X account that “no one should be imprisoned for expressing their opinions. Protest is the right of every Iranian citizen. My life will end after this tweet, but let’s not forget that we die and die for the love of life, not death.”
Amnesty Iran mourned the loss of Sanjari following the news of his death in a post on Instagram, saying his “passion for human rights will continue to shine.”
“Years of interrogations, unjust detention, torture and exile haunted him as his oppressors remain unpunished,” the post read, adding that the collective grief over his death will galvanize calls for justice.
Sanjari was first imprisoned by the Islamic Republic regime following protests in Iran in 1999 when he was 17-years-old but was later repeatedly arrested and tortured for his criticism against the corruption of the clerical ruling regime until 2007.
He ended up spending months in solitary confinement and was forcefully transferred to a psychiatric center, telling Voice of America and BBC Persian that he had his hands and legs chained to a bed and would receive injections which would make him unconscious for hours.
Sanjari eventually fled Iran to seek asylum in the United States and began working for Voice of America where he continued his activism and reported on the human rights situation in Iran, including a protest in front of the United Nations when former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave a speech at the Columbia School of Journalism in September 2007.
In spite of the potential risks of returning, he moved back to Iran in 2017 due to his mother suffering from a severe health, according to a statement on his social media.
Sanjari was arrested by the regime by the security organizations after his return, but was later released. However, he was arrested again during the nationwide Woman Life Freedom movement that took over the country in 2022 and 2023 when many activists and protesters were arrested and jailed in the aftermath of the tragic death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman under the hijab police custody after she was taken for not fully complying with hijab rules.
Sanjari supported the idea of toppling the current clerical regime and advocated for a transition to a new ruling system for the country led by the U.S.-based son of the former Iranian monarch, Reza Pahlavi, until people could choose a new governing regime.
Pahlavi posted a video on his X account saying it was “painful news” to hear about Sanjari’s death.
“We deal with a regime that its life is based on death and execution,” he said, blaming the Islamic Republic for Sanjari’s suicide and warning about the government’s execution order for other protestors who were recently sentenced to execution with charges related to the Woman Life Freedom uprising.
