- Indonesia's Mount Ibu erupts more than 1,000 times this month
- Sumo to stage event in Paris as part of global push
- Deadly strikes on Gaza after Israel says ceasefire delayed
- Badosa 'loves Coco' but is gunning for 'revenge' in Melbourne quarters
- Sabalenka, Gauff on Melbourne collision course as Alcaraz moves on
- Alcaraz into Australian Open quarters after Draper retires
- Sabalenka uses fighting spirit to banish Australian Open blues
- Sabalenka, Gauff on Melbourne collision course after reaching quarters
- Swiss rider Ruegg wins opening UCI World Tour event in Australia
- Mitchell scores 36 as Cavs bounce back, Celtics downed
- Sabalenka a happy snapper at Australian Open
- Gauff turns up heat on Bencic to reach Australian Open quarters
- Commanders stun Lions in NFL thriller, Chiefs advance
- Protesters storm S. Korea court after president's detention extended
- TikTok notifies US users of shutdown as Trump seeks last-ditch solution
- Ceasefire in Israel-Hamas war to begin at 0630 GMT
- Wuhan keen to shake off pandemic label five years on
- Sabalenka imperious as Djokovic, Alcaraz on Melbourne collision course
- 'Generational problem': Youth still struggling in pandemic's shadow
- Vaccine misinformation: a lasting side effect from Covid
- Sabalenka blows away Andreeva to reach Melbourne quarter-finals
- Hope, fear at Paris rally for Gaza hostages
- Separated by LA wildfires, a happy reunion for some pets, owners
- France's Moutet 'collapsed in shower' before Australian Open match
- In US, teleworkers don't want to turn back
- Covid's origins reviewed: Lab leak or natural spillover?
- Trump arrives in Washington ahead of Monday's inauguration
- Steady Straka takes four-shot lead in PGA Tour's American Express
- Kelce, Mahomes double-act leads Chiefs past Texans in NFL playoffs
- Barcelona's Balde complains of racist abuse in Getafe draw
- Frustrated Barca fail to capitalise on Atletico La Liga slip
- More Kenyan police land in Haiti to bolster security mission
- McGlynn leads youthful USA to friendly win over Venezuela
- Barcelona stumble to frustrating Getafe draw in title setback
- Lukaku fires Napoli six points clear at Atalanta, Juve sink Milan
- Milder winds help LA firefighters as Trump vows to visit
- S. Korean court extends impeached president's detention, angering supporters
- Wirtz has Leverkusen on Bayern's heels to keep repeat title 'dream' alive
- Arsenal must take blame for Villa fightback: Arteta
- Nunez late show extends Liverpool's lead, Arsenal held by Aston Villa
- Russian attacks kill six across Ukraine, Kyiv says
- Northampton, Leinster claim Champions Cup pool top spots
- Arsenal's title bid rocked by Villa fightback
- Superb Wirtz keeps Leverkusen on pace with leaders Bayern
- Detention extended for S. Korea's impeached president
- Thousands attend funeral of Liberian ex-warlord Prince Johnson
- Barcola strikes as PSG fight back to beat Lens
- Juventus into Serie A Champions League spots with victory over AC Milan
- Kane calls on Bayern to extend with pal Dier
- Kenya sends 217 more police officers to Haiti mission
Judge cancels major US oil and gas exploration sale
A judge on Thursday canceled the sale of oil and gas exploration leases of some 80 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico, after environmental groups sued the Biden administration citing major concerns.
Federal District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras declared existing contracts invalid, saying the Department of the Interior did not adequately consider the leases' impact on climate change when issuing them.
According to the ruling, officials had used outdated analyses to calculate the leases' effects on the environment and said the government must run a new analysis with current data.
The administration had in August announced its intention to sell the rights to the Gulf exploration, a decision decried by environmental activists and seen as a stumbling block for President Joe Biden's climate agenda.
A coalition of environmentalist groups sued to prevent the sales.
"We are pleased that the court invalidated Interior's illegal lease sale," Brettny Hardy, a lawyer for climate group Earthjustice, which represents the coalition, said in a statement.
"We simply cannot continue to make investments in the fossil fuel industry to the peril of our communities and increasingly warming planet," she said.
The Gulf of Mexico, located along the southeastern United States, is one of the most important oil production regions in the country.
Biden last January had announced a moratorium on new gas and oil drilling on federal land pending a review in an effort to make responding to the climate crisis a central part of his presidency.
But a federal judge in Louisiana, nominated by former president Donald Trump, ruled in June that the administration had to get congressional approval for such a move.
F.Wilson--AT