CNN — Here’s a look at oil spill disasters. Spill estimates vary by source. 1. January 1991 – During the Gulf War, Iraqi forces intentionally release 252-336 million gallons of oil into the Persian Gulf. 2. April 20, 2010 – An explosion occurs on board the BP-contracted Transocean Ltd. Deepwater Horizon oil rig, releasing approximately … Read more
Bogota, Colombia CNN — Hundreds of families in Colombia are facing a choice: abandon their homes and livelihoods, or face the devastation of a predicted volcanic eruption in the coming weeks. The Nevado del Ruiz volcano, one of Colombia’s highest peaks, sits in a densely populated farming area and is infamous for claiming the lives … Read more
Brisbane, Australia CNN — A massive cyclone swirling off Australia’s western coast will likely make landfall as a category 5 storm – the strongest on the national scale – according to the country’s official forecaster. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) expects Cyclone Ilsa to cross the Pilbara coast of Western Australia Thursday evening or Friday … Read more
High pollution levels in Thailand’s northern city of Chiang Mai and surrounding provinces are keeping tourists away and alarming locals, with the government on Monday, April 10, urging residents to avoid outdoor activities. For several weeks last month the city was at the top of air quality information platform IQAir’s global chart on poor air … Read more
CNN — For the first time, the Chinese navy appears to have simulated strikes by aircraft carrier-based warplanes on Taiwan, as drills around the island wrapped up on their third day. Beijing launched the drills on Saturday, a day after Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a 10-day visit to Central America and the United … Read more
Bangkok, Thailand CNN — Smoke from fires in northern Thailand is making it hard to breathe, and at least one hospital in Chiang Mai says it’s reached “full ward capacity” as people present with respiratory issues from breathing air pollution. Air pollution has been a longstanding problem in Thailand, usually caused by heavy road traffic … Read more
CNN — A group called Ultima Generazione or Last Generation have poured what they described as a charcoal-based black liquid into the water of the Barcaccia fountain at the base of the Spanish Steps in central Rome. The group posted a video on Twitter, showing three men and a woman inside the fountain opening paper … Read more
CNN — When EU lawmakers voted to ban the sale of new combustion engine cars in the bloc by 2035, it was a landmark victory for climate. In February, the European Parliament approved the law. All that was needed was a rubber stamp from the bloc’s political leaders. Then Germany changed its mind. In a … Read more
CNN — A farmers’ protest party in the Netherlands has caused a shock after winning provincial elections this week just four years after their founding. Could their rise have wider implications? The Farmer-Citizen Movement or BoerburgerBeweging (BBB) grew out of mass demonstrations against the Dutch government’s environmental policies, protests that saw farmers using their tractors … Read more
Bangkok, Thailand CNN — A court in western Thailand on Monday sentenced five poachers to prison terms of five years each for killing a female tiger and her cub in a national park last year. The provincial court ruled the five men broke conservation laws by killing the protected animals in Thong Pha Phum National … Read more