China makes landmark pledge to cut its climate emissions

hina, the world's biggest source of planet-warming gases, has for the first time committed to an absolute target to cut its emissions, BBC reported.

In a video statement to the UN in New York, President Xi Jinping said that China would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions across the economy by 7-10% by 2035, while "striving to do better".

The announcement comes at a time the US is rolling back on its commitments, with President Donald Trump on Tuesday calling climate change a "con job".

But some critics said China's plan did not go as far as hoped to keep global climate goals in reach, according to BBC.

 

Three West African countries to quit International Criminal Court

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have announced they will immediately withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), labelling it an "instrument of neo-colonialist repression".

The three military-led countries issued a joint statement, saying they would not recognise the authority of the UN-backed court, based in The Hague, BBC reported.

"The ICC has proven itself incapable of handling and prosecuting proven war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of genocide, and crimes of aggression," the three leaders said.

The court has not yet responded to the decision by the three countries, all of which with close ties to Russia whose leader Vladimir Putin has been subject to an ICC arrest warrant, according to BBC.

Nasa plans first crewed Moon mission in 50 years for February 2026

Nasa has said it hopes to send astronauts on a ten-day trip around the Moon as soon as February, BBC reported.

The US space agency had previously committed to launching no later than the end of April but said it aims to bring the mission forward.

It's been 50 years since any country has flown a crewed lunar mission. Nasa will send four astronauts there and back to test systems.

The Artemis II mission is the second launch of the Artemis programme, whose aim is to land astronauts and eventually establish a long-term presence on the lunar surface, according to BBC.

Typhoon bursts Taiwan lake as strongest storm barrels towards China

Two people have died in eastern Taiwan and scores more are trapped or missing after a super typhoon caused a mountain lake to burst its banks, fire officials said, BBC reported.

The barrier lake, formed by previous landslides, broke on Tuesday afternoon, sending water surging into the nearby township of Guangfu in Hualien county.

Rescuers from across Taiwan are heading to the area. Super Typhoon Ragasa is the strongest storm of 2025 and is now bearing down on China's southern coast. 

It is due to make landfall in Guangdong province on Wednesday, where some 370,000 people have been evacuated, and many schools and businesses shut. Hong Kong has upgraded its typhoon warning to level 10, the maximum level, according to BBC.