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Summer Comes Early for Iraq as Temperatures Soar in South

A picture shows empty tourist facilities by the Habbaniyah lake affected by severe drought in Iraq's Anbar province, on August 11, 2023. (AFP)
A picture shows empty tourist facilities by the Habbaniyah lake affected by severe drought in Iraq's Anbar province, on August 11, 2023. (AFP)
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Summer Comes Early for Iraq as Temperatures Soar in South

A picture shows empty tourist facilities by the Habbaniyah lake affected by severe drought in Iraq's Anbar province, on August 11, 2023. (AFP)
A picture shows empty tourist facilities by the Habbaniyah lake affected by severe drought in Iraq's Anbar province, on August 11, 2023. (AFP)

Summer has come early for Iraq this year, with temperatures soaring to dangerous levels in the southern provinces on Thursday, the national weather center said.

Global temperatures are stuck at near-record highs this year, according to the EU's climate monitor, extending an unprecedented heat streak that started in 2023.

"It is the highest temperature recorded in Iraq this year," weather centre spokesperson Amer al-Jabiri told AFP.

He said the early heat was in contrast to last year, when the temperature was "relatively good" in May and "it only began to rise in June".

On Thursday, the temperature climbed to 49 degrees Celsius (over 120 Fahrenheit) in the provinces of Basra and Missan, and it reached 48 degrees in the nearby Dhi Qar province, according to the weather centre.

In Iraq, summer temperatures often exceed 50 degrees Celsius, especially in July and August, and sometimes reach these levels earlier.

On Sunday, two cadets died and others were admitted to hospital with heat stroke at a military academy in Dhi Qar, authorities said.

The defense ministry said nine cadets "showed signs of fatigue and exhaustion due to sun exposure" while waiting to be assigned to battalions.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered an investigation into the two deaths.

Iraq is one of the five countries most impacted by some effects of climate change, according to the United Nations. It has also seen a prolonged drought and frequent dust storms.

While the province of Missan is used to scorching summers, environment activist and daily labourer Mustafa Hashem said "the heat started sooner than expected this year".

"One of my colleagues fainted yesterday while we were maintaining cooling equipment on the roof of a building," he added.

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Varieties

Pakistan’s Blossom Season Brings Calm in a Troubled World

Commuters ride past apricot blossom trees at Ghanche district in Gilgit-Baltistan region on March 30, 2026. (AFP)
Commuters ride past apricot blossom trees at Ghanche district in Gilgit-Baltistan region on March 30, 2026. (AFP)
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Pakistan’s Blossom Season Brings Calm in a Troubled World

Commuters ride past apricot blossom trees at Ghanche district in Gilgit-Baltistan region on March 30, 2026. (AFP)
Commuters ride past apricot blossom trees at Ghanche district in Gilgit-Baltistan region on March 30, 2026. (AFP)

The harsh days of winter are over in Pakistan's high north and while snow still tops the towering peaks that dominate the landscape, spring has arrived in the foothills.

But this year, visitors who have come to witness the region's cherry and apricot blossoms see it as the perfect tonic to the war in the Middle East and its knock-on effects.

"There's war going on all over the world right now. It's petrol crisis, this and that, everything has become more expensive, everyone is in a depression," Hatib, 27, from Pakistan's biggest city, Karachi, told AFP.

"But to get out of depression, you need to step outside, go out somewhere for a bit, see places, explore, and relax the mind," he said.

The blossoms that turn bare trees into a vibrant shade of pink carpet the thawing farmland of Gilgit-Baltistan from late March every year, marking renewal and the promise of fruit harvests to come for local people.

"The best part is when these flowers are falling. It literally feels like a dream," Hatib said.

The region, home to about 1.7 million people, has some of the world's highest mountains, including K2, which soars to 8,611 meters (28,251 feet) -- second only to Mount Everest.

The jagged mountain ranges, high-altitude lakes and glaciers of Gilgit-Baltistan are a magnet for the daring and adventurous.

But more sedate visitors can instead take selfies in the orchards of the flowering deep valleys, under a clear blue sky with only the chirrup of birdsong and the bleat of foraging goats to break the surrounding silence.

"No matter how much inflation there is in Pakistan today, no matter how much petrol prices are going up, tourists still don't want to miss the cherry blossom and apricot blossom season," said local visitor Maria Akbar, 29.

"Even if we have to spend extra money, it's not a problem, but we'll enjoy this view."

"Things like cherry blossom and apricot blossom are what make Gilgit-Baltistan unique compared to all other regions," added Junaid Ahmed, 31.

"Tourists from all over the world come to enjoy this season. As you can see around me how beautiful it is, the beautiful view of these cherry and apricot blossoms is right before your eyes."

Varieties

Hong Kong’s ‘Hero Trees’ Lose Their Glory as Climate Warms

A kapok tree blooms with vibrant red flowers while retaining green foliage that typically would have shed during winter, in Hong Kong on March 15, 2026. (AFP)
A kapok tree blooms with vibrant red flowers while retaining green foliage that typically would have shed during winter, in Hong Kong on March 15, 2026. (AFP)
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Hong Kong’s ‘Hero Trees’ Lose Their Glory as Climate Warms

A kapok tree blooms with vibrant red flowers while retaining green foliage that typically would have shed during winter, in Hong Kong on March 15, 2026. (AFP)
A kapok tree blooms with vibrant red flowers while retaining green foliage that typically would have shed during winter, in Hong Kong on March 15, 2026. (AFP)

Hong Kong's beloved kapok trees are not blooming the way they used to, drawing concern from conservationists who see it as a sign that nature is falling out of sync as the climate warms.

Locally known as "hero trees" for their majestic appearance, kapoks attract large numbers of photographers every spring when their bright red flowers bloom on otherwise bare branches.

But that contrast has been fading in recent years as leaves that should have been shed during winter stay put as the seasons change, worrying researchers.

"The kapok trees we see now very often have both flowers and leaves at the same time," said Lam Chiu-ying, former director of the Hong Kong Observatory.

"In some places, half the tree is covered in green leaves and the other half in red flowers."

The kapok, also known as the red silk-cotton tree, is native to tropical and subtropical Asia, including southern China.

The shift in their springtime appearance has "become increasingly common" over the past decade due to warming winters caused by climate change, Lam told AFP.

Hong Kong has just recorded its warmest winter on record, with the mean temperature from December to February hitting 19.3C, two degrees higher than normal, according to the observatory.

Angie Ng, an ecologist and conservation manager at local NGO The Conservancy Association, said the trees seemed to be blooming about two weeks earlier than usual this year, likely due to climate factors like temperature and moisture.

The trees have to divert resources to maintain both old leaves and new flowers, which may result in fewer blooms, she said.

The disruption could have knock-on effects on wildlife, as flowers provide nectar for birds and pollen for bees.

"Ecological processes function like an intricate web," Ng says.

"When the timing of animals and plants does not align properly, it can trigger ripple effects that impact not only animals dependent on those plants but also the broader ecological chains."

Varieties

Young Antelope Shot Dead at Vienna Zoo

The zoo, located within the grounds of the imperial Schoenbrunn Palace, attracted nearly two million visitors in 2024. ALEXANDER KLEIN / AFP/File
The zoo, located within the grounds of the imperial Schoenbrunn Palace, attracted nearly two million visitors in 2024. ALEXANDER KLEIN / AFP/File
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Young Antelope Shot Dead at Vienna Zoo

The zoo, located within the grounds of the imperial Schoenbrunn Palace, attracted nearly two million visitors in 2024. ALEXANDER KLEIN / AFP/File
The zoo, located within the grounds of the imperial Schoenbrunn Palace, attracted nearly two million visitors in 2024. ALEXANDER KLEIN / AFP/File

Vienna's Schoenbrunn Zoo expressed outrage on Tuesday over the death of one of its blackbuck antelope, whose males are recognizable by their large twisted horns, which was shot dead by an unknown gunman.

According to the zoo, the shot was fired from outside the enclosure overnight from Saturday to Sunday.

"The safety of people and animals is our most precious asset, and we do everything we can to ensure the highest level of security," zoo director Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck told Austria's APA news agency.

A keeper discovered the dead antelope and a veterinarian carried out an autopsy during which a suspected gunshot wound was identified, AFP reported.

The incident was reported to the police on Monday by zoo officials, and an investigation into suspected animal cruelty has been opened.

The zoo, located within the grounds of the imperial Schoenbrunn Palace, attracted nearly two million visitors in 2024.

Originally from South Asia, the blackbuck, also known as the Indian antelope, is commonly found in captivity.