Environment

JACUNDA NATIONAL FOREST, Brazil (AP) — Equipped with hoses connected to rubber backpacks, Brazilian firefighters in the Amazon on Monday raced in a truck along dirt roads toward plumes of smoke after a spotter in a military helicopter directed them to a fast-spreading fire.

PORTO VELHO, Brazil (AP) — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has insulted adversaries and allies, disparaged women, blacks and homosexuals, and even praised his country’s 1964-1985 dictatorship. Yet nothing has rallied more anger at home and criticism from abroad than his response to fires raging in parts of the Amazon region.

BIARRITZ (France), Aug 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The leaders of the G7 club of rich countries meet in southern France on Saturday, with the burning Amazon, diving stock markets and their own stark divisions giving little grounds for optimism.

US President Donald Trump and fellow Western leaders will also face protests as they arrive in the famed surfing town of Biarritz — though a heavy police presence will keep them far from view.

BANGKOK, Aug 23 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Disasters,  especially those triggered by climate change and environmental degradation, have deviated from their usual tracks and are growing in intensity, frequency and complexity, according to a report. 

The Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2019 launched Thursday revealed  that recent disasters were showing that it is now more difficult to determine which areas should prepare for what kind of disaster.

MOSCOW, August 23. /TASS/: Over 130 wildfires are registered on the territory of nearly 44,000 hectares in Russian regions early Friday, the press service of the Aerial Forest Protection Service said.

"As of 12am on 23 August 2019, 136 wildfires are registered on the territory of 43,976 hectares in Russia, with active firefighting efforts underway," the press service said.

A total of 1,400 people and 80 units of equipment are involved in combating wildfires.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Amid global concern about raging fires in the Amazon, Brazil’s government complained Thursday that it is being targeted in smear campaign by critics who contend President Jair Bolsonaro is not doing enough to curb widespread deforestation.

The threat to what some call “the lungs of the planet” has ignited a bitter dispute about who is to blame during the tenure of a leader who has described Brazil’s rainforest protections as an obstacle to economic development and who traded Twitter jabs on Thursday with France’s president over the fires.

HULU LANGAT, Malaysia, Aug 20 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The Ministry of Rural Development (KPLB) has announced that it will install 10,000 units of Light Emitting Diode (LED) village street lights (LJK) in villages in Peninsular Malaysia starting this year with completion expected next year.

Its Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun said the installation of the LED-type lighting units would use the ministry’s Incentive Based Regulation (IBR) for 2019/2020 allocation that would benefit villagers in need of replacement of existing street lights.

NAIROBI, Aug 21 (NNN-KBC) — Kenya’s maiden crude oil will hit the international market next week destined for China.

The crude oil will be shipped by Chinese state owned firm ChemChina which won the tender to buy the maiden Kenyan oil early this month.

Petroleum Principal Secretary Andrew Kamau has said the sale gives momentum to the nascent oil exploration industry in Kenya.

Kamau further says the construction of 810 kilometers pipeline between Lokichar and Lamu is expected to commence next year and take three years to complete.

SALALAH, Oman, Aug 20 (NNN-ONA) – The Arab Conference on Sustainable Cities, kicked off on Monday in Salalah, Oman, aiming to discuss sustainable urban planning strategies and the role of real estate developers in sustainable development.

The two-day conference would review several topics, including sustainable urban development, smart cities, urban planning and design standards, smart partnerships for real estate developers, and local, regional and global models of urban development.

Kanpur: Garbage remains uncleared at defiled corners and the Nagar Swasthya Adhikari remains inactive too. What is the use of the fleet of vehicles bought for lifting the garbage, from dumped spots? No satisfactory response comes from the officials concerned. It was also said that the employees were on strike.

But is it the only reason behind the prevailing unsanitary conditions. One MP and several Corporators have demanded the resignation of Nagar Swasthya Adhikari.