Environment

MANAGUA, May 16 (Xinhua): Buildings in Nicaragua swayed and some were evacuated on Thursday after a powerful earthquake and aftershocks hit the region in the Pacific, according to official reports.

According to a government report, the focus of the quake, which occurred at 10:28 a.m. local time (1628 GMT), was located 56 km west of Jiquilillo in the western region of the country at a depth of 32 km.

Rosario Murillo, vice president of Nicaragua, said that the magnitude of the earthquake was 6.3 on the Richter scale.

16 May 2019; AFP: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres raised concerns Thursday that a concrete dome built last century to contain waste from atomic bomb tests is leaking radioactive material into the Pacific.

Speaking to students in Fiji, Guterres described the structure on Enewetak atoll in the Marshall Islands as "a kind of coffin" and said it was a legacy of Cold War-era nuclear tests in the Pacific

Kanpur: As many as 225 tanneries in Jajmau are now going to face the pang of disconnection of the power supply in the midst of order received from the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board Headquarters. 

On inspection of the tanneries a number of complaints were received regarding running of the tanneries. This prompted the UPPCB for initiating swift action. 

MOSCOW, May 7. /TASS/: Over 310 forest fires have been extinguished in Russia over the last three days, the press service of the Aerial Forest Protection Service said on Wednesday.

"According to regional forestry departments, 316 forest fires were extinguished over the last three days. As a result of active firefighting efforts, the territory of forest fires was reduced by almost three times, from 44,556 hectares on May 12 to 16,607 hectares on May 15," the press service said.

CANBERRA, May 15 (Xinhua): Australia will import grain for the first time in over 10 years as the country recovers from the devastating 2018 drought.

The Australian government has approved a single shipment permit to import bulk wheat from Canada to mitigate the rising domestic prices for grain caused by the worst drought in decades on the east coast, according to the report of Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Wednesday.

KUNMING, May 15 (Xinhua): Firefighters in southwest China's Yunnan Province are still battling a forest fire that broke out on Monday.

As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, over 2,000 people and three helicopters were working to extinguish the fire in the city of Anning, according to the provincial forest fire control department.

Parts of the province are suffering from severe drought and according to forecasts, the area will see no rainfall in the following week.

The size of the area covered by the fire and its cause are under investigation.

15 May 2019; DW: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the US is not seeking conflict in Iran, after high-level talks in Russia. Meeting with President Vladimir Putin and top officials, he also discussed ways to mend US-Russia ties.

Meeting with top Russian officials on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tried to ease concerns over rising tensions between Washington and Tehran that some fear could lead to conflict.

KUWAIT CITY, May 14. /TASS/: The central oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia has been hit by drones, Saudi Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources Khalid al-Falih said on Tuesday.

"The East-West Crude Oil Pipeline has been attacked by explosive-laden drones," the Beirut-based Al Mayadeen TV channel quotes him as saying. "The national Saudi Aramco company halted oil pumping in the pipeline."

At the same time, al-Falih did not specify who could have been behind the attack.

ISLAMABAD, May 13 (APP): The Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing Monday hosted a special investiture ceremony wherein Vice Foreign Minister of China Kong Xuanyou was conferred Hilal-e-Quaid-e-Azam, the civil award of Pakistan.

Ambassador of Pakistan in China Masood Khalid conferred the award, on behalf of the President of Pakistan, in recognition of Kong Xuanyou’s services towards Pakistan and further strengthening of Pakistan-China relations, said a press release received here.

ISLAMABAD, May 14 (APP): In what can be termed a matter of pride and privilege for the country, Pakistan was ranked 3rd in the world for newly installed hydropower capacity.

This has been declared by the International Hydropower Association (IHA) in its recently issued report titled “2019: Hydropower Status Report – Sector Trends and Insights”, said a statement issued on Tuesday.