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Tobias Wedermann spricht mit Ruben Vargas über seinen Winter-Wechsel zum FC Sevilla. Der Nati-Leistungsträger musste sich zunächst an die anderen Gepflogenheiten in Spanien gewöhnen.

La Fondation humanitaire pour Gaza, soutenue par Israël et les États-Unis, a fermement démenti cette allégation.

A nyilvánosság segítségét kéri a rendőrség a zsolnai Matej Šugar (24) megtalálásához, aki csütörtökön (7. 3.) este megszökött a vámosi (Považský Chlmec/Zsolna városrésze) drogelvonó központból, ahol bírósági határozat alapján került elhelyezésre. Matej veszélyes a környezetére, hajlamos a dühkitörésekre és az erőszakra.

Ein Lieferwagen geriet am Freitagmorgen in Hägglingen AG in Brand und verursachte erheblichen Schaden an einem ehemaligen Bauernhaus. Die Aargauer Kantonspolizei vermutet, dass ölgetränkte Lappen im Fahrzeug die Ursache für das Feuer waren.

Gen Assimi Goïta is set to remain in power until at least 2030 - his term can be renewed indefinitely.

Interessieren sich Jugendliche in den 20-igern heute noch für Royals und deren Lebensstil? Vanessa Nyfeler ist eine Vertreterin der sogenannten Zoomer und hat sich früher sehr für Meghan interessiert, doch das hat stark nachgelassen. Bei «RoyalTea» erklärt sie wieso.

Die Schweizer Gletscher haben ihre gesamte Schnee- und Eisreserve verloren, wie Gletscherforscher Matthias Huss bekannt gab. Der Gletscherschwundtag wurde dieses Jahr besonders früh erreicht, was auf die anhaltende Gletscherschmelze hinweist.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates that the minimum economic cost of biological invasions globally from 1970 to 2017 is USD 1.2 trillion. Credit: Jorge Luis Baños/IPS

By Richard Bugan
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Jul 4 2025 (IPS)

Concerns about the impacts of invasive species is not new; it dates to the 19th century. The term was popularized in Charles Elton’s 1958 book “The Ecology of Invasions by Animals and Plants”. However, the concept gained significant attention in the 1990s and early 2000s as academic interest surged. This led to an increase in publications by invasion biologists.

Today, the impact of invasive species has increased significantly, with regions with fragile ecosystems being more vulnerable than others. Globally, the scale of the problem is staggering. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates that the minimum economic cost of biological invasions globally from 1970 to 2017 is USD 1.2 trillion. This figure accounts for expenses related to the prevention, reduction, or mitigation of damages caused by these species.

In Africa, a continent expected to be severely affected by climate change, the challenges posed by invasive species are expected to worsen. Among the most pressing is the spread of invasive plants, which not only endanger native biodiversity but also impact the economy, water security, food security and livelihoods.

One such example can be found in South Africa’s Cape Floristic Region, which is known for its remarkable plant diversity, where 70% of plant species are unique to this area.

In catchment areas of the Western Cape Water Supply System, critical for the water supply to Cape Town, invasive trees are responsible for the loss of up to 55 million cubic meters of water per year—equivalent to about two months’ water supply for the city. If not managed, this loss could increase to 100 million cubic meters per year by 2045.

It is evident that the Earth is approaching a tipping point in terms of biodiversity loss, and there is no time to waste. Many scientists, including myself, are deeply concerned about the impact of these water-consuming invasive trees.

Richard Bugan

As the Science, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Manager for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in South Africa, I lead a team dedicated to using sound science to monitor and evaluate the progress of the Greater Cape Town Water Fund, which was launched in 2018 by TNC and its partners as South Africa’s first Water Fund.

Our work includes tracking the hectares cleared in pursuit of our 2026 target of 59,300 hectares cleared, along with assessing the associated water benefits and biodiversity impacts (for both freshwater ecosystems and the recovery of native fynbos).

As of February 2025, the Water Fund has cleared 33,000 hectares (56% of the target) and completed follow-up clearing efforts across 31,000 hectares to prevent regrowth of invasive species and maintain the cleared areas. This effort has reclaimed approximately 34 million cubic meters of water per year to the benefit of both people and the environment.

TNC is committed to accurately quantifying the impact of invasive trees on water resources in South Africa. This is achieved through the application of hydrological models and infield monitoring activities. During October 2019 – February 2020, six catchments around Theewaterskloof Dam, were instrumented with streamflow and rainfall monitoring equipment. The results of this hydrological monitoring represent a unique opportunity to provide measured evidence of the water benefits achieved through the clearing of invasive trees.

But we are learning that our monitoring activities can hit a snag due to potential equipment failures, storms, and wildfires, which pose risks to their success. To address these challenges, we upgraded the paired catchment monitoring stations in December 2024 through the support of Microsoft. A new telemetry system was installed, linking each piece of equipment via radio frequency and the mobile network. This enhancement significantly reduced the risk of data loss, improved accuracy, and supported the long-term resilience of the monitoring.

After almost six years of monitoring, we are frequently asked whether clearing invasive trees is increasing streamflow. Preliminary results suggest that reference (fynbos dominated) catchments exhibit, on average, a 34% increase in annual streamflow volumes compared to invaded catchments. This represents a significant amount of water, benefiting both people and nature in this beautiful region. We are excited about these incontrovertible findings as they provide concrete evidence of the benefits derived from the removal of invasive trees.

Restoring biodiversity to its original state may take a long time. However, I am just as excited about this moment. The fact that we can contribute every day to a matter of international importance is a gradual step to success.

The author is the Science, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager (TNC South Africa)

Das Parteiensystem in den USA wird von Demokraten und Republikanern dominiert. Drittparteien spielen kaum eine Rolle. Trotzdem plant Tech-Milliardär Elon Musk, eine eigene Partei zu gründen. Hat er Chancen? Drei Beispiele zeigen, wie schwer das US-System zu knacken ist.

Sudan was thrown into disarray in 2023 when its army and a paramilitary group began a power struggle.

Sudan was thrown into disarray in 2023 when its army and a paramilitary group began a power struggle.

Sudan was thrown into disarray in 2023 when its army and a paramilitary group began a power struggle.

Sudan was thrown into disarray in 2023 when its army and a paramilitary group began a power struggle.

Mfor.hu: Vegyesen alakult a forint árfolyama péntek (7. 4.) reggel a nemzetközi devizapiacon. Az euró hét órakor 398,78 forinton állt, alacsonyabban a szerda esti 398,90 forintnál. A dollár jegyzése 339,29 forintról 338,54 forintra csökkent, viszont a svájci franké 426,71 forintról 426,85 forintra nőtt. (MTI)

Der legendäre nigerianische Torwart Peter Rufai ist im Alter von 61 Jahren verstorben. Die Trauer um den Afrika-Cup-Sieger von 1994 ist gross.

La proposition allemande de patrouilles conjointes à la frontière entre la Pologne et l’Allemagne a été rejetée par Varsovie, le ministre polonais de la Défense insistant sur le fait que les frontières nationales seront gardées par des forces polonaises.

The post La Pologne rejette l’idée de patrouilles frontalières conjointes avec l’Allemagne appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Bei Dacharbeiten in Oberägeri ZG stürzte ein Mann am Donnerstagnachmittag 6,5 Meter in die Tiefe. Er erlitt lebensbedrohliche Verletzungen und wurde per Rega-Helikopter in ein ausserkantonales Spital geflogen. Die genaue Unfallursache wird untersucht.

Der US-Dollar erreicht zum Franken historische Tiefststände. Und es könnte noch mehr runtergehen. Laut der US-Bank Morgan Stanley droht ein Rückgang um weitere 9 Prozent. Das schafft Unsicherheit.

Görögországban erdőtűz miatt emberek ezrei kényszerültek elhagyni üdülőhelyeiket Kréta szigetén és Athén közelében. Eközben a szomszédos Törökországban napok óta pusztít a tűz, ami már emberéletet is követelt – írta a Népszava.

Israels Premierminister Netanyahu hat bei einem Besuch im Kibbuz Nir Oz die Rückkehr aller Geiseln aus Gaza versprochen. In der kommenden Woche reist Netanyahu nach Washington, wo eine mögliche Waffenruhe diskutiert werden könnte.