Toxic gas leak kills 8 at Bangladesh ship-breaking yard
SCMP •

Toxic gas leak kills 8 at Bangladesh ship-breaking yard

At least eight workers have died following a toxic gas leak at a ship-breaking yard in the southeastern Bangladeshi district of Chattogram, officials said on Friday. The incident occurred at the Ferdaus Steel Shipbreaking Yard in Sitakund subdistrict, an area that hosts many ship-breaking yards where old vessels mostly imported from around the world are dismantled. Soon after the leak, many worker...

BP to develop offshore gasfield in Venezuela with firms linked to Trump administration
The Guardian •

BP to develop offshore gasfield in Venezuela with firms linked to Trump administration

Move will be one of first large-scale foreign investments in country since US ousted leader Nicolás Maduro in JanuaryBP has answered Donald Trump’s call for oil companies to help rebuild Venezuela’s fossil fuel industry with new plans to develop a large offshore gasfield.BP will partner with two oil firms with close links to the Trump administration to develop the second phase of the Loran gasfiel...

Five reservoirs in England and Wales ‘exceptionally low’ as drought persists

Five reservoirs in England and Wales ‘exceptionally low’ as drought persists

The Guardian •

Extreme heat and lack of rain threatening public water supply, with ‘real trouble’ predicted if autumn stays dryFive key reservoirs across England and Wales are “exceptionally low” as drought and extreme heat piles pressure on public water supply that is likely to continue into the autumn.Most of Europe has endured back-to-back climate crisis-driven heatwaves this summer. The extreme heat, coupled...

In 1968, a California landowner demanded $100 an acre for land that officials valued at $17

In 1968, a California landowner demanded $100 an acre for land that officials valued at $17

Times of India •

The US government's lengthy legal struggle with Dean Brimhall culminated in a $400,000 buyout. The resolution saw the demolition of commercial facilities, including a lodge and petrol station, adjacent to Capitol Reef National Park. The agreement also put an end to quarrying operations on the land. This settlement balanced private ownership with conservation needs in southern Utah, allowing for th...

China, Brazil to launch 24/7 disaster early warning satellite for South America

China, Brazil to launch 24/7 disaster early warning satellite for South America

SCMP •

After almost four decades of international cooperation in space affairs, Brazil and China have unveiled details of a new project to launch a powerful meteorological and environmental satellite. It will be capable of monitoring the whole of South America, according to the space sciences department at Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE). Adenilson Roberto da Silva, general coordina...

Thousands evacuated and dozens injured in Croatian wildfires – Europe live

Thousands evacuated and dozens injured in Croatian wildfires – Europe live

The Guardian •

More than 40 people hurt in the Lokva Rogoznica and Omiš area including seven in a life-threatening conditionEngland has received just 4mm of rain so far in August, or 6% of the long-term average for the month, the Environment Agency said on Friday, as reported by PA.It follows the driest July on record for the country, when only 7mm of rain was measured, or 10% of the average. Continue reading...

Belt and braces PM: what wearing suit braces says about Burnham

Belt and braces PM: what wearing suit braces says about Burnham

The Guardian •

Mod fashion, nod to 80s excess or symbol of tradition? Andy Burnham’s wardrobe choice transcends class divisionsThe sartorial evolution of Andy Burnham reached another milestone this week when the prime minister appeared at a photocall in Derbyshire wearing a pair of braces under his suit.Navy, slimline and button-on rather than clipped, they were barely visible while he posed for a photo in Ilkes...

Birthrate drop in North Africa

Birthrate drop in North Africa

France 24 •

The Maghreb region is experiencing a dramatic decline in birth rates, with most women now having fewer than three children, compared with seven or eight on average in the 1970s. Ellen Gainsford looks at what is driving this major demographic shift.

World Bank to fund 645-metre bridge linking Bangui and Zongo

World Bank to fund 645-metre bridge linking Bangui and Zongo

France 24 •

The Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo are set to build a new bridge linking their two major cities, Bangui and Zongo. The 60-million-dollar project will see the construction of a 645-metre bridge across the Congo River, aimed at strengthening trade and transport links between the two countries.

Mount Etna continues to erupt in Italy

Mount Etna continues to erupt in Italy

France 24 •

Flights at Catania airport in Sicily remain suspended because of ongoing volcanic activity from Mount Etna. But for those already on the island, the spectacular lava flows have become a major attraction, drawing crowds of tourists to safe viewing points. Companies organising guided nighttime hikes say they have been flooded with calls from visitors hoping to see the eruption up close. Etna is Euro...

Chadian President Déby pardons jailed main rival and 8 opposition leaders

Chadian President Déby pardons jailed main rival and 8 opposition leaders

France 24 •

Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Déby on Friday pardoned the jailed ex-prime minister and leader of Chad’s main opposition party Succès Masra, along with eight other party leaders. Masra had been serving a 20-year sentence, convicted of hate speech, xenophobia and inciting a massacre, in what Human Rights Watch called a politically motivated trial.

Trump administration asks supreme court to allow construction of $400m White House ballroom to proceed – US politics live

Trump administration asks supreme court to allow construction of $400m White House ballroom to proceed – US politics live

The Guardian •

Administration asks justices to keep decision by court of appeals on hold after it ruled that project lacked necessary approval from CongressSign up for the Breaking News US emailThe Trump administration has asked ⁠the ⁠US supreme court to allow construction of his controversial $400m ⁠White House ballroom to proceed after ​an ‌appeals ‌court ordered work to halt.In a case testing Donald Trump’s p...

UK a ‘tinderbox’, says Burnham, as he calls in military and bans disposable barbecues – UK politics live

UK a ‘tinderbox’, says Burnham, as he calls in military and bans disposable barbecues – UK politics live

The Guardian •

PM also says fire and rescue services will be given more cash This election is a novelty with a record 34 candidates, including Howling Laud Hope of The Official Monster Raving Loony Party and Marcus White from the Everyone is God Party.They have pounded the streets of Clacton over the past few weeks as they seek to win the support of about 80,000 voters. Continue reading...

What does the first visit to the Kuril Islands by Vladimir Putin mean for China?

What does the first visit to the Kuril Islands by Vladimir Putin mean for China?

SCMP •

Vladimir Putin’s unprecedented visit to the disputed southern Kuril Islands is among a broader joint push by Beijing and Moscow to pressure Japan over a range of grievances, including sanctions on Russia and the Taiwan issue, experts say. The Russian president’s symbolic visit on Thursday to the far east volcanic archipelago north of Japan’s Hokkaido – which Japan calls the Northern Territories – ...

Italian police recover paintings by Cézanne, Renoir and Matisse after heist

Italian police recover paintings by Cézanne, Renoir and Matisse after heist

The Guardian •

Artworks valued at total of more than $10m were stolen from Magnani Rocca Foundation near Parma in MarchItalian police have recovered three paintings by the French masters Paul Cézanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Henri Matisse that were stolen earlier this year from a private museum near the northern city of Parma, authorities said on Friday.The raid took place overnight on 22-23 March at the Magna...

Andy Burnham moves to cut new EV sales targets

Andy Burnham moves to cut new EV sales targets

The Guardian •

Possible cut from 80% down to as little as 50% could add millions of tonnes of CO2 to emissions and comes amid UK heatwavesAndy Burnham’s government has said it will look at cutting electric vehicle sales targets, in proposals that could add millions of tonnes a year to the UK’s future carbon dioxide emissions.The government launched a consultation on Friday on cutting the target for new EVs to as...