Environment

SYDNEY, Feb 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) – With homes and businesses battered by the extreme weather on Australia’s east coast, energy provider Ausgrid asked for help from the military, to clear debris and repair electricity.

Speaking with Sky News Wednesday (this) morning, New South Wales (NSW) Minister for Energy and Environment, Matt Kean, confirmed that a request had been made to the Australian military.

“Their CEO (Richard Gross) raised it with me yesterday and I fully support it,” he said, adding, the state government would expedite the call out of the army.

LONDON, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Hundreds of flights and train services were cancelled across northwest Europe as Storm Ciara swept in packing powerful winds after lashing Britain and Ireland, where tens of thousands of homes were left without power.

Swathes of northern France were placed on orange alert with people advised to avoid the coast due to possible storm surges.

Britain, which bore the brunt of the storm Sunday with widespread flooding across the north of the country, remained on alert with the Meteorological Office warning of strong winds, heavy rain and snow.

BRASILIA, Feb 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil more than doubled in January compared with the previous year, according to official data published Friday.

More than 280 sq km were cleared, an increase of 108 per cent. It was the largest area cleared in the month of January since 2015, when such data started being collected, according to Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE).

The data was collected by the INPE’s satellite-based DETER system, which monitors deforestation in real time.

BELO HORIZONTE (Brazil), Jan 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Another torrential downpour left the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte paralyzed, with ruined cars abandoned on streets cake with mud, as the death toll from days of violent weather reached 54.

Another 47,000 people across Minas Gerais, the southeastern state where the city is located, have been forced from their homes since the rains began on Friday, civil defense officials said.

Tuesday evening’s downpour was nothing short of spectacular: 117 millimeters of water in three hours.

MUSCAT, Jan 25 (NNN-ONA) – Heavy rain of varying intensity, detected in some Wilayats in Musandam Governorate.

Following the good weather Oman has been enjoying over the last few days, locals and expats can expect more rain in the coming days.

An update from the Directorate General of Meteorology, at the Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA), said that thundershowers are expected from next week.

BARCELONA, Jan 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The death toll from a violent storm that has wrought havoc across huge swathes of Spain’s eastern and southern coastline rose to 11, with rescue workers still searching for four people.

The latest victim was a 50-year-old man who was fishing in coastal Ametlla de Mar, according to civil protection authorities in the northeast Catalonia region.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan 23 (NNN-Xinhua) — The prosecution office of the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais said it has filed charges against mining giant Vale and consulting company TUV SUD for intentional murder over the collapse of a tailings dam in 2019.

The collapse of the tailings dam occurred in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, on Jan 25, 2019, leaving 270 people dead and more than 10 missing.

The prosecution office also filed charges against 16 individuals, including former Chief Executive officer of Vale Fabio Schvartsman.

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 22 (NNN-XINHUA) – The World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting, opened here yesterday with a focus on renewing the concept of stakeholder capitalism, to overcome income inequality, societal division and the climate crisis.

Themed “Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World,” the meeting convened around 3,000 participants from over 100 countries and regions.

SARAJEVO, Jan 21 (NNN-XINHUA) – Peaceful protests were held by Sarajevo residents, over problem of air pollution in the capital, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).

“We want to make citizens aware that there is more potential for certain activities to be undertaken, so that our children do not inhale poisoned air,” Sanjin Gijo, one of the protesters said.

Penang (Malaysia), Jan 20 (AP/PTI) Malaysia has sent back 150 containers of plastic waste to 13 mainly rich countries since the third quarter last year, with the environment minster warning on Monday that those who want to make the country a rubbish bin of the world can "dream on".

Shipments of unwanted rubbish have been rerouted to Southeast Asia since China banned the import of plastic waste in 2018, but Malaysia and other developing countries are fighting back.