MEXICO CITY, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday reiterated that her government will not allow foreign intervention or interference in the country's internal affairs, saying relations with the United States must be based on coordination without subordination.

Speaking at her daily press conference, Sheinbaum criticized those who, she said, support foreign intervention, including some sectors in the United States and among Mexico's opposition.

"We will always defend the principle that there should be no intervention, no interference, only coordination, and without subordination," she said. "That will always be our position, by principle, by history, by conviction and because the Constitution says so."

Citing an opinion poll showing that 91 percent of respondents opposed intervention, she said it is "essential to ask who benefits from spreading the idea that Mexicans think otherwise," accusing some U.S. sectors and right-wing media of seeking intervention.

VILNIUS, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- An air alert was issued shortly after midnight Tuesday in Vilnius and surrounding areas after a drone entered Lithuanian airspace, according to the country's National Crisis Management Center (NKVC).

The National Crisis Management Center said NATO fighter jets were scrambled in response to the threat and about 30 minutes after the initial alert, authorities reported that the drone had been destroyed in the air over Kaunas district. The air threat alert was then lifted.

NKVC Director Vilmantas Vitkauskas confirmed that a drone had been detected and that NATO fighter jets were activated in response. He said further details could not immediately be disclosed.

by Julia Pierrepont III

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Powerful surf generated by the remnants of former Hurricane Marie battered Southern California's coast last week, stripping sand from beaches, damaging homes and walkways, and exposing once again the vulnerability of oceanfront communities.

"With global warming, superstorms and ocean current shifts, I'm afraid it's only going to get worse," former Malibu resident S.A. Baker told Xinhua. "Las Vegas might be beachfront property one day if this keeps up."

The worst damage was reported along the Alamitos Peninsula in Long Beach, where days of large breaking waves overwhelmed sand berms and pounded a seawall protecting homes packed tightly between the Pacific Ocean and narrow streets.

At least 24 oceanfront homes were placed under evacuation orders while officials assessed structural damage and possible foundation undermining.

The immediate trigger was the swells generated by Hurricane Marie, which remained far offshore but sent long-period waves toward south- and southwest-facing beaches. Such swells can carry substantial energy over long distances and produce powerful breaking waves when they reach the coast. The combination of high surf and high astronomical tides increased the risk of coastal flooding and erosion.

A strengthening El Nino could bring wetter and stormier conditions to Southern California later this year and into the winter, potentially increasing coastal flooding and erosion risks.

"Unfortunately, this is just a preview," climate scientist Daniel Swain said in a public discussion last week, warning that coastal flooding risks could grow in the fall and winter if El Nino conditions intensify.

The erosion was not confined to Long Beach. High surf and coastal flooding affected communities from Malibu through Orange County and into San Diego County.

In San Clemente, high tides and powerful waves overtopped the coastal rail line and caused further erosion and slope damage, prompting the closure of an affected section of the track.

The rail corridor, formally known as the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor, is the second-busiest intercity passenger rail corridor in the United States and a key route for passenger and freight service. Parts of the 351-mile corridor run directly along coastal bluffs and beaches in Southern California, where waves, landslides and slope failures have repeatedly forced emergency repairs and service disruptions.

In Malibu, the storm's effects drew national attention when a sinkhole opened in the driveway of an oceanfront home reportedly owned by Oscar-winning actor Nicolas Cage, known for films including "Leaving Las Vegas," "National Treasure" and "Face/Off."

The collapse caused a gas leak, prompting emergency crews to shut off utilities and leading Malibu officials to declare a local emergency for affected properties along Sea Level Drive.

Coastal scientists say erosion is a natural process, but risks increase when beaches have limited room to migrate because of development and shoreline structures. Waves naturally move sand offshore during storms and return some of it during calmer periods. In heavily developed parts of Southern California, seawalls, homes, roads and rail lines can constrain that natural movement as sea levels rise.

For now, local officials are focused on repairs and public safety. Authorities have warned of dangerous surf and rip currents, while rainfall can also increase runoff and temporarily worsen water quality near beaches. But the latest storm has underscored how even a tropical system passing hundreds of miles offshore can produce significant damage along Southern California's vulnerable coastline.

MEXICO CITY, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio came to South America on Sept. 8-10 talking mostly about drugs, crime and security. He left behind an agenda that reached much further.

Across Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, Rubio's tour touched on critical minerals, infrastructure and closer political ties, alongside an expanding U.S. "security role" in the region.

For analysts, the three-country trip offered a revealing look at Washington's broader strategy: using security cooperation to deepen its influence at a time of political change across South America.

The fight against organized crime was the most visible theme of Rubio's trip.

In Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, he called for closer cooperation against drug trafficking and groups Washington describes as "narcoterrorists."

Fernando Romero Wimer, a professor at Brazil's Federal University for Latin American Integration, said the language itself matters.

"The militarization is already underway," he said, arguing that recasting drug trafficking as terrorism could expand the legal and operational room for U.S. involvement in the region.

Cristina Pecequilo, a professor of international relations at the Federal University of Sao Paulo, said the approach has clear precedents, from Plan Colombia to the Merida Initiative.

Security cooperation can also create leverage beyond the fight against crime, said Luis Ricardo Delgado, a professor at Venezuela's University of Carabobo.

"Security cooperation does not automatically produce development," he said. "What it produces is strategic dependence. And that dependence then conditions the sovereign decisions of each country."

Rubio's agenda also extended into sectors with longer-term strategic importance. In Colombia, for example, the two sides discussed cooperation on strategic minerals.

"The United States does not care if emerging countries continue selling appliances, clothes, toys or even vehicles in the region," said Delgado. "They are focused on critical infrastructure, cutting-edge technologies and strategic natural resources."

He described the approach as part of the "Donroe Doctrine," a modified version of the Monroe Doctrine promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump to pursue U.S. primacy in the Western Hemisphere.

Romero Wimer made a similar argument, saying security cooperation can also become a tool for exerting pressure over ports, infrastructure and other strategic projects.

CAIRO, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held separate phone calls Friday with his Algerian and United Arab Emirates (UAE) counterparts to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments, according to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

In a call with Algerian Minister of State and Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, Abdelatty discussed ways to deepen bilateral ties, with a focus on enhancing economic and trade cooperation and exploring new areas of collaboration, the ministry said.

The two ministers stressed the need to follow up on the outcomes of the ninth session of the Egyptian-Algerian Joint Higher Committee, held in Cairo last November, according to the ministry.

They also exchanged views on regional issues and underscored the importance of continued consultation and coordination on Libya to promote security and stability, it said.

Abdelatty also discussed the latest regional developments with UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in a separate call, the ministry added.

The two calls came amid a sharp deterioration in Algerian-UAE ties. On Thursday, Algeria announced its decision to sever diplomatic relations with the UAE after "exhausting all avenues" to preserve their ties.

KINSHASA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has surpassed 7,000, with nearly 3,400 deaths reported, according to the latest government situation report released Friday.

As of Sept. 10, health authorities had recorded 7,022 confirmed cases and 3,398 deaths, putting the case fatality rate at 48.4 percent. A total of 1,671 patients have recovered.

The outbreak has now affected 62 health zones across seven provinces. Sud-Ubangi became the latest affected province after a case was confirmed there, local authorities said Thursday. The patient, a 23-year-old man with a travel history from South Kivu province, was reported dead.

Sud-Ubangi does not border any of the six provinces where confirmed Ebola cases had previously been reported, namely, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, Tshopo and Bas-Uele.

The current outbreak, declared in May, has become the largest and deadliest Ebola epidemic in the DRC's history and the second-largest globally, behind the 2014-2016 epidemic in West Africa.

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg on Thursday warned that the renewed war in Yemen risks dragging the country into wider and unresolved regional confrontation with global repercussions.

Over the past 24 hours, fighting has intensified across multiple front lines in Yemen, especially on the strategic west coast. The Houthis launched a major offensive, including on Mokha, the port city that lies roughly 75 km from Bab al-Mandeb, the chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden through which a substantial share of global trade and energy passes, Grundberg told the Security Council in a briefing.

"As of right now, they have gained control of Mokha, giving them a direct presence on the approaches to one of the world's most vital straits, although fighting is ongoing and the situation remains fluid," he said via a video link. "This development is raising serious concerns within the international community about the threat to freedom of navigation."

The renewed war effectively marks the end of the relative calm that Yemen has experienced for over four years since the UN-brokered truce. It not only threatens to plunge Yemen into a prolonged and expanding war, but also risks dragging the country into the wider and unresolved regional confrontation, with global repercussions, Grundberg said.

The developments in Mokha follow weeks of escalation. In early September, the Houthis launched extensive attacks in Taiz and Hodeidah, setting off increasingly intense confrontations with government forces. Fighting has since spread to Marib, al-Jawf, and al-Bayda governorates. The Houthis have also conducted attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, he said.

Grundberg called on the Houthis to cease attacks inside Yemen and across the border into Saudi Arabia, and to cease attacks and threats against commercial vessels.

The UN envoy asked all parties to keep channels of engagement open, and to preserve the pathway to a political settlement.

International humanitarian law must be upheld at all times by everyone. Civilians and civilian objects must not be targeted, and constant care must be taken to spare them from the effects of military operations, he said.

"The question before the international community is no longer whether Yemen's war will resume, but how to address a new and more dangerous phase -- one whose consequences, if left unchecked, will not stay within Yemen's borders," Grundberg said.

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 60 Palestinians, including about 30 children, have been displaced after Israeli authorities demolished homes and other structures in the Masafer Yatta area of the southern West Bank, UN humanitarians said Thursday.

The demolitions took place Tuesday in two Palestinian herding communities and included 20 homes and other facilities, such as a water cistern and solar panels. They followed the demolition of a nearby community on Sept. 2, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Another 30 people who live in the area seasonally were affected. Many of the destroyed structures had been built with donor support, OCHA said in its latest news update.

Masafer Yatta is home to about 1,200 Palestinians in 13 communities in the Hebron Hills. Israeli authorities have designated the area as a "firing zone," while humanitarian groups have reported increasing settler violence since settlement outposts were established nearby.

The UN and its humanitarian partners visited the area Wednesday and provided displaced residents with emergency shelter, food, hygiene supplies, baby products and psychosocial support.

OCHA said 1,500 Palestinians had been displaced across the West Bank this year by demolitions, while more than 2,600 others had been displaced by settler violence and related access restrictions.

In Gaza, UN agencies and humanitarian partners were arranging emergency assistance for 30 families whose shelters were destroyed or damaged in an airstrike in the Al Bureij area of Deir al-Balah on Tuesday.

During the first week of September, aid groups assisted more than 100 households affected by 18 incidents across Gaza, including airstrikes, building collapses and domestic fires. Shelter supplies were also distributed to more than 1,800 households, including tents, plastic sheeting, bedding, solar lamps and searchlights, said the UN office.

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The contiguous United States experienced its warmest meteorological summer on record in 2026, with the average temperature from June through August reaching about 23.6 degrees Celsius, according to a new report released Wednesday by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The average temperature for the contiguous United States during the summer was about 1.7 degrees Celsius above the 20th-century average and 0.2 degrees Celsius higher than the previous records set in 1936 and 2021, according to the report.

August was also the warmest on record, with the average temperature reaching 24.2 degrees Celsius, about 1.9 degrees Celsius above the 20th-century average. Average daytime maximum temperatures reached 31.4 degrees Celsius, also the highest on record.

Both August and meteorological summer were the warmest on record since 1895 for the contiguous United States, according to the report.

Total precipitation averaged across the contiguous United States in August was about 5.84 cm, about 0.81 cm below the 20th-century average, the report showed.

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. tech giant Apple on Wednesday unveiled its first foldable smartphone, iPhone Duo, along with the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, new Apple Watch models and AirPods at a product launch event held at Apple Park, its headquarters in Cupertino, California.

The iPhone Duo, which starts at 1,999 U.S. dollars in the United States, features a 5.4-inch (13.7-centimeter) outer display that opens to reveal a 7.6-inch (19.3-centimeter) inner display, the largest ever on an iPhone, according to Apple.

When closed, the device is roughly the size of a passport, the company said. When unfolded, it is Apple's thinnest iPhone to date.

The iPhone Duo is made of Grade 5 titanium and features a precision hinge. Its inner and outer Super Retina XDR displays have the same aspect ratio, allowing content to scale proportionally as users switch between the two screens.

The device is powered by Apple's new A20 Pro chip, the same processor used in the iPhone 18 Pro models. Built on a 2-nanometer process, the chip features a six-core CPU, a seven-core GPU and dual 16-core Neural Engine designed to support on-device artificial intelligence (AI) workloads, Apple said.

The foldable phone also features a dual-battery architecture and a custom vapor chamber for thermal management. It offers up to 31 hours of video playback on the inner display and 44 hours on the outer display, according to Apple.

Apple has redesigned parts of its iOS 27 operating system to accomodate the foldable form factor. A new Split View feature allows users to run two apps side by side on an iPhone for the first time, while also enabling them to open two windows of the same app.

The iPhone Duo comes with Apple Intelligence and Siri AI. Apple said Siri AI will begin rolling out as a beta with iOS 27 on Sept. 14 for supported devices set to English, with several additional languages to follow in October.

The iPhone Duo will be available in star white and night sky, with storage options of 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB. Pre-orders will begin on Oct. 16 in more than 70 countries and regions, with availability beginning Oct. 23. The phone will launch in an additional 28 countries and regions on Oct. 30.

Apple also unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, starting at 1,199 dollars and 1,299 dollars, respectively. Both models are powered by the A20 Pro chip and feature a new 48-megapixel Fusion Main camera with variable aperture, along with improvements in battery life and sustained performance.

The iPhone 18 Pro models will be available with 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB of storage. Pre-orders will begin Sept. 12, with availability starting Sept. 18 in more than 65 countries and regions.

Apple also introduced Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, featuring a new Health Sensing System and the S11 chip. The company said the system enables more frequent measurements of heart rate and heart-rate variability, as well as a new readiness score. The Apple Watch Series 12 starts at 399 dollars, while the Apple Watch Ultra 4 starts at 799 dollars.

AirPods 5 were also unveiled at the event, bringing Active Noise Cancellation to Apple's entry-level AirPods lineup. The new model starts at 129 dollars, while a version with a wireless charging case and additional controls costs 149 dollars.

The event marked the first major Apple product launch led by John Ternus since he took over as the company's CEO. The introduction of the iPhone Duo marks Apple's entry into the foldable smartphone market.

Canada has room to deepen economic ties with China despite pressure from the United States, Canadian experts said at a recent business roundtable in Vancouver.

The 2026 Canada-China Economic and Trade Roundtable, hosted by the Canada China Chamber of Commerce and organized with support from Bank of China (Canada), brought together nearly 70 participants from government, business, academia and indigenous communities on Thursday.

Jiang Wenran, president of the Canada-China Energy and Environment Forum, said the overall outlook for Canada-China relations was positive and that the two countries had an established framework for cooperation.

The priority now is to build on that foundation and expand practical cooperation, Jiang said.

He identified energy, agriculture, basic manufacturing and seafood as areas with potential for closer cooperation. He also suggested that environmental technologies could provide opportunities.

Looking further ahead, he said AI, the digital economy, critical minerals and education could become important areas for bilateral cooperation.

The comments reflected the broader view at the roundtable that Canada and China have complementary economic strengths that can create opportunities for both sides.

Julian Karaguesian, an economics professor at McGill University in Montreal, said Ottawa's interests do not always align with Washington's approach to China, adding Canada should look beyond its traditional dependence on the US market.

"What may be good for the United States in terms of the containment policy may not be good for us," Karaguesian said at the Vancouver event.

Canada and China have complementary economic strengths, he said, describing Canada as "a natural resource superpower" and China "a manufacturing superpower".

"We're also wonderful potential investment partners," he said, adding that there were "so many avenues to expand in".

Canada's trade with China could be significantly larger if geopolitical factors were less restrictive, Karaguesian said. "Our trade with China could be three times what it is today."

The comments came as Canada seeks to diversify its trade relationships amid uncertainty in its economic ties with the US.

Washington imposed 50 percent tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods effective on Aug 22, while Ottawa responded with matching tariffs on an equivalent value of US imports, effective from Tuesday.

Karaguesian said diversification should no longer be viewed simply as an opportunity arising from the current crisis, but as a necessity.

He emphasized the necessity that "we diversify our trade and invest in relationships".

"It shouldn't be really from crisis to opportunity; it's from crisis to necessity and we have a unique opportunity," he added.

Lu Hai, a professor of accounting at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, said green transition and supply chains could provide another area for closer cooperation.

The way countries assess supply chains was changing, with environmental considerations becoming increasingly important alongside cost, Lu said.

"So we have low cost, low emissions," he said, highlighting the need to consider both economic and environmental factors when evaluating supply chains.

Former Canadian finance minister Bill Morneau underscored the importance of maintaining dialogue and building relationships as Canada navigates a more difficult international economic environment.

"We deal with transition, which means there will be more need for you to have conversations building deeper relationships, critically important," Morneau said.

gaoyang@chinadailyusa.com

Qatar said on Monday that opening the Strait of Hormuz remains a "priority" and warned the world faces an "industrial catastrophe" if the regional crisis continues, as Iran threatened a maritime "exclusion zone" amid the United States' economic warfare and blockade.

In an interview with CNN, Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Mohammed Al-Ansari said there are currently "two main priorities".

"One, make sure that the Strait (of Hormuz) is open ... second is to make sure there are no escalations in the region and no attacks on Iran," he said.

"When we get to that point, this is the point we need to have the regional push, all of us collectively, to make sure that dialogue happens that includes all of us," he said.

The two main obstacles now relate to political will and finding technical solutions, he added.

"The world cannot afford normalizing the idea of ... a waterway being used and weaponized in this way," he said. "This could be replicated in other places, having even more damaging consequences. We need to kill this in its infancy."

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said on Tuesday that the US has in recent days "received a clear warning from Iran's new missiles".

"Economic warfare will be met by a maritime exclusion zone across the Persian Gulf to the blockade perimeter. The operational posture toward US warships and bases has been fundamentally recalibrated," he said.

A US State Department spokesperson said Washington is coordinating with its regional partners to ensure that Iran's "disruption of navigation" does not become an accepted state of affairs, Al Jazeera reported.

Meanwhile, US Senator Mark Warner condemned the administration's war against Iran.

"The Iran war of choice that (President) Donald Trump started cost Americans $100 billion, and every two minutes, it goes up by another $1 million," he said on Monday.

"This is what happens when you start a war of choice with no plan, no strategy, no allies, and no way to get out," he added, urging Americans to "stand up, speak up, fight back".

At the 166th session of the Council of the League of Arab States on Monday, Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy reiterated that Arab states were not parties to the war and had not chosen to become a theater for it.

Fahmy warned of the repercussions of disrupting the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab Strait, saying any vulnerability or disruption affecting the two waterways would have direct consequences for Arab economies and security, as well as repercussions for the global economy.

Also on Monday, International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi called on Iran to "engage with the agency constructively" to make possible the full and effective implementation of agency safeguards in Iran and to fulfill its responsibilities under the safeguards agreements of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

"A return to diplomacy and negotiations aimed at finding a solution to issues related to Iran's nuclear program is imperative, and the agency stands ready to support such efforts," Grossi said.

Iran's mission to the agency responded to Grossi, saying the IAEA chief should first call on the US and Israel to stop attacking or threatening to attack peaceful nuclear facilities operating under IAEA safeguards.

Houthi, Saudi attacks

Meanwhile in Yemen, the Houthi group on Tuesday claimed responsibility for large-scale missile and drone strikes on military and energy facilities across southern Saudi Arabia, saying the attacks were in response to recent Saudi military operations in Yemen.

Saudi authorities said earlier on Tuesday that the Houthi attacks hit civilian and economic sites, injuring 73 people. Fires broke out at several energy facilities and utilities, forcing a temporary suspension of operations, according to the Saudi energy ministry.

The Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported a series of Saudi strikes on Tuesday. "The Saudi aggression launches a series of raids on Al-Waziyah district" in Taiz Province, where fighting has raged for days, al-Masirah said.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at jan@chinadailyapac.com

BAGHDAD, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein met Monday in Cairo with Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy to discuss regional security tensions and navigation disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.

The two sides reviewed potential economic impacts on Arab nations, particularly Iraq, caused by disruptions to navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, emphasizing its importance to global trade and energy supplies, the statement said.

Hussein stressed the importance of opening communication channels to de-escalate tensions between Tehran and Washington, adding that the Arab League could play a positive role.

Fahmy highlighted quiet diplomacy and dialogue to address crises, expressing readiness to support efforts to reduce regional tensions, the statement said.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the regular session of the Arab League Council at the ministerial level.

After the United States and Israel launched war on Iran in late February, Tehran restricted shipping passage through the Hormuz Strait, while U.S. forces imposed a naval blockade targeting vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports.

VILNIUS, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Europe should not give without getting anything in return in any future peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday, stressing that any peace settlement would also involve commitments from Europe.

Kallas made the remarks during a visit to Lithuania after U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Moscow and Kyiv over the weekend in renewed diplomacy to end the war.

At a joint press conference with Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius, Kallas was asked whether the weekend talks had brought peace closer and what a possible trilateral summit without an EU seat would mean for Europe's ability to shape the outcome. She said Russia and Ukraine ultimately needed to talk directly to each other.

"On the European side, it is clear that we cannot be mediators between Russia and Ukraine. They need to talk to each other. We have always been on the side of Ukraine, so we are not neutral in this situation," Kallas said.

She said that any eventual peace agreement would also involve "a lot of asks for Europe," adding that these were not things Europe should give "without getting anything in return."

Earlier on Monday, Kallas met Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and discussed Lithuania's priorities for its upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Nauseda said Lithuania would focus on European security and defence, EU enlargement, competitiveness, internal security and social resilience during its presidency.

GENEVA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- 2025 wildfire and heatwave pollution threatens international air-quality and health efforts, and the better monitoring of PM 2.5, ozone, black carbon and microplastics is urgently needed, said the World Meteorological Organization(WMO) on Monday.

Issued on the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, the 2025 edition of the WMO's Air Quality and Climate Bulletin traces the complex interlinkages between air quality and climate, highlighting the negative impacts of aerosols - including particulate matter - and surface ozone on human health.

The bulletin notes that PM2.5 consists of tiny particles and droplets with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers, which pose a health threat because they can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream. Sources of PM2.5 are diverse, ranging from industrial activities, agriculture, residential heating and transport to wildfires and dust storms.

Consistent with recent trends, PM2.5 concentrations in 2025 were above the long-term average in northern Canada, parts of the Russian Federation, western-central Africa and northwestern Spain due to increased fire activity. China continued to record PM2.5 levels below the long-term mean, reflecting a decline in anthropogenic emissions.

Extreme wildfires are becoming more frequent and produce highly toxic smoke, with serious consequences for public health. A study cited in the report showed that extreme fire-smoke events have tripled globally since the 1990s, leading to an estimated nearly 100,000 additional deaths per year between 2010 and 2018. Current air-quality risk assessments often fail to fully account for the enhanced toxicity of wildfire smoke, the report warned.

Ground-level ozone pollution affects human health, agriculture and ecosystems, and is becoming an increasing concern due to more frequent heatwaves. Long-term exposure to ozone is linked to higher mortality, primarily from respiratory diseases. Recent research indicates that rising temperatures, atmospheric stagnation and intense solar radiation jointly promote surface ozone formation during heatwaves, and the resulting increase in ozone exposure could lead to tens of thousands of premature deaths, with ozone-related health risks expected to intensify further in the future.

Aerosol particles can travel long distances from their sources across oceans and continents, altering the way the atmosphere reflects sunlight. They also change the chemistry of land and water bodies and can contaminate previously pristine environments. Given the continued rise in plastic production and inadequate plastic waste management, the bulletin emphasised that monitoring the atmospheric pathway of microplastic deposition in remote environments is crucial for understanding their overall impacts on the Earth system.