8 killed in Brazil silo blast, 11 injured

Eight people were killed and 11 injured in a series of silo explosions at the site of an agricultural cooperative in Brazil's southern Parana state, authorities said Thursday
28 July 2023

900 migrants drowned off Tunisia this year

More than 900 migrants have drowned off Tunisia’s coast so far this year as they tried to reach Europe by boat, the North African country’s government said yesterday.
27 July 2023

Earth in ‘era of global boiling’

July 2023 is set to upend previous heat benchmarks, UN Secretary-general António Guterres said yesterday after scientists said it was on track to be the world’s hottest month on record.
27 July 2023

Environment chiefs of G20 ready fresh proposal

G20 environment ministers in India readied a fresh bid yesterday to strike deals tackling climate change, days after heavy criticism for failing to agree on cutting fossil fuel use.
27 July 2023

Norwegian woman, Nepali sherpa set record

A Norwegian woman and her Nepali guide set the record Thursday for the fastest summit of all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre (26,000-feet) mountains, their team said in a statement.
27 July 2023

Niger military chief backs coup leaders

Niger’s armed forces chief yesterday declared his support for troops who said they had overthrown the government, despite a defiant stand by the country’s elected president and an outcry from the world community.
27 July 2023

Russia-Africa Summit: Putin promises free grain to nations

Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday offered free grain to six poor African countries as he launched a summit with leaders from the continent days after withdrawing from the Ukraine grain export deal.
27 July 2023

Entire pod of 97 pilot whales dies in Australia beaching

Nearly 100 pilot whales have died after beaching in Western Australia, wildlife officials said Thursday, following desperate rescue attempts
27 July 2023

New Chinese foreign minister Wang talks Ukraine in Turkey on first trip

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed Ukraine with his Turkish counterpart in Ankara and met President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday during his first foreign trip since being appointed, a Turkish foreign ministry source said
27 July 2023

Niger soldiers claim to have overthrown president

Soldiers claim to have overthrown Niger's government following an apparent coup in the West African nation on Wednesday when members of the Presidential Guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum
27 July 2023

North Korea's Kim gives Russia defence minister tour of arms expo

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday, state media KCNA reported, giving him a tour of a defence expo featuring Pyongyang's banned ballistic missiles as both sides pledged to boost ties
27 July 2023

Irish singer Sinead O'Connor dies aged 56

Irish pop singer Sinead O'Connor, who shot to worldwide fame in the 1990s, has died at the age of 56
26 July 2023

London Sex Offence Trial: US actor Kevin Spacey found not guilty

A tearful Kevin Spacey was found not guilty yesterday by a jury at a London court of committing historical sex offences against four men
26 July 2023

Ship carrying 3,000 cars ablaze off Dutch coast, crew member dead

A fire blazed on a ship off the Dutch coast with nearly 3,000 vehicles on board yesterday, killing one member of the crew and injuring several others, the coastguard said.
26 July 2023

Blinken criticises China’s ‘problematic behaviour’

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned of China’s “problematic behaviour” during a visit to the Pacific island nation of Tonga on Wednesday, citing Beijing’s militarisation of the South China Sea and what he called economic coercion.
26 July 2023

Israel Supreme Court to hear appeal

Israel’s Supreme Court said yesterday it would hear an appeal against a new law that curbs some of its own powers, pitting it against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government that is seeking an overhaul of the judicial system.
26 July 2023

3 die in Greece as wildfires rage

Raging wildfires in Greece turned deadly yesterday when a firefighting plane crashed, killing two pilots, and a third person was found dead as relentless heatwaves fuelled flames.
26 July 2023

Iran enforcing ‘intensified’ hijab crackdown

Iranian authorities have in the last months launched an intensified crackdown against women deemed to have violated the Islamic republic’s strict dress rules, Amnesty International said yesterday.
26 July 2023

Florida ocean temperature tops 100F

Shallow waters off south Florida topped 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8C) for several hours on Monday, potentially setting a new world record with temperatures more commonly associated with hot tubs.
26 July 2023

Tech giants form group to ensure safety

Four US leaders in artificial intelligence (AI) announced yesterday the formation of an industry group devoted to addressing risks that cutting edge versions of the technology may pose.
26 July 2023