Asia

"An oil spill from an Iranian tanker that sank in the East China Sea is rapidly spreading, officials said Tuesday, alarming environmentalists about the threat to sea and bird life in the waterway."

"A ban on all sales of ivory products in China [came] into force on Sunday, a move hailed by conservationists as an important step in the fight to protect endangered species such as African elephants."

"China is the world’s No. 1 polluter. It burns more coal than the rest of the world combined. ... On Tuesday, the country set out to claim another title that reflects its ambitions to change all that: keeper of the world’s largest financial market devoted to cleaning up the air."

"Like many Portland residents, Satish and Arlene Palshikar are serious recyclers. ... But recently, after loading up their Prius and driving to a sorting facility, they got a shock. 'The fellow said we don't take plastic anymore,' Satish says. 'It should go in the trash.'"

"With President Trump vowing to get tougher on trade, troubled American makers of everything from steel tubing and aluminum foil to washing machines have lined up to ask Washington for protection from foreign rivals. But Mr. Trump’s first big international trade fight could be over solar panels."

"The Japanese government and companies used radiation-hardened machines to search for the fuel that escaped the plant’s ruined reactors."

"NEW DELHI — As thick smog crept over India’s capital this past week and smudged landmarks from view, Nikunj Pandey could feel his eyes and throat burning."

"Hundreds dead in India, Nepal and Bangladesh, while millions have been forced from their homes and 18,000 schools shut down across the region".