Author: News Desk

Recycling rubble, particularly in countries pummelled by war, is one way to limit the environmental damage caused by extracting sand and rock, according to Pascal Peduzzi of UN Environment. “Syria is experiencing a horrible and tragic war – whole cities will have to be razed and rebuilt,” the expert told. “Construction materials must be recycled or we will have quarry problems.” In neighboring Lebanon, which experienced its protracted civil war (1975-190), a multitude of illegal quarries has already left gaping wounds in the mountainsides. Environmentalists worry there could be an uptick in extraction to feed an eventual reconstruction of Syria.…

Defending champion Naomi Osaka consoled a tearful Coco Gauff after a crushing US Open victory Saturday in a showdown billed as “the future of women’s tennis” while Rafael Nadal cruised into the last 16. World number one Osaka overpowered 15-year-old Gauff 6-3, 6-0 in 65 minutes to keep her title defense on track before sharing a warm embrace with an opponent overwhelmed by the occasion in the New York spotlight. The emotional clash was followed by tearful on-court interviews, Osaka asking Gauff to join her with the microphone as they met at the net. “It was kind of instinctive because…

Customs officials caught a Polish man was after trying to smuggle nearly 100 tarantula spiders in his luggage, at Cayenne Airport, French Guiana, regional officials told Saturday. The prefecture said the man attempted to carry a bag containing 38 adults and some 50 young as well as dozens of egg-filled cocoons through the airport at Cayenne, the capital of the French overseas department bordering Brazil and Surinam. He was arrested on Sunday, August 25 as he prepared to board a flight to Paris, having packed the creatures “in plastic bottles” hidden among his luggage, the prefecture said. Officials said the…

In South America, the Amazon basin is ablaze. Halfway around the world in central Africa, vast stretches of savanna are going up in flame. Arctic regions in Siberia are burning at a historic pace. While the Brazilian fires have grown into a full-blown international crisis, they represent only one of many significant areas where wildfires are currently burning around the world. Their increase in severity and spread to places where fires were rarely previously seen is raising fears that climate change is exacerbating the danger. Hotter, drier temperatures “are going to continue promoting the potential for fire,” said John Abatzoglou,…

Polar Airlines became the launch customer for the Ansat rotorcraft when it secured seven of the helicopters from Russian Helicopters for operations in the far north of the country. A spokeswoman for Russian Helicopters, a subsidiary of Rostec State Corporation, said that a contract for the seven was clinched at the MAKS 2019 International Aviation and Space Salon at the Zhukovsky International Airport, here. She said that the contract entailed creating a special design to enable the helicopters to operate with a longer flight range, an ice protection system, and all-weather capabilities. “The design will allow the helicopters to carry…

Liverpool maintained their 100 percent start to the Premier League season with a 3-0 win at Burnley to retake top spot from Manchester City, who earlier thrashed Brighton yesterday. But Manchester United and Chelsea lost further ground on the leaders in disappointing draws with Southampton and Sheffield United. Liverpool has now won a club-record 13 straight Premier League games stretching back to last season when they missed out on the title to City despite amassing 97 points. Another titanic title race between the two looks on as Liverpool withstood an early Burnley assault before two goals in four first-half minutes…

Kuching: State police are hunting down four secondary schoolboys, aged between 14 and 16, who allegedly participated in a gang assault on a schoolmate behind a hotel at Jalan McDougall here, on Friday. The incident came to light after one of the boys recorded the incident on a mobile phone and shared the footage with a relative. The 40-second video found its way online and quickly went viral on social media. According to the 14-year-old victim, he had been asked to meet two of the boys at the location, which is near their school, at around 8 am on Friday.…

One person was killed and another nine wounded, three seriously, on Saturday in a knife attack near the French city of Lyon, a regional official and emergency services said. Two men, one armed with a knife and the other with a skewer, carried out the attack in Villeurbanne, a Lyon suburb, in southeastern France, the official said, without giving further details on the motive for the stabbing. One of the men had been arrested by police but the second was on the run. The attack took place close to a metro station. An AFP journalist at the scene witnessed a…

Airbus SE has reinforced its industrial presence in Malaysia with the announcement of investments comprising three new initiatives worth over US$120 million. Chief executive officer Guillaume Faury said the investment would further develop Malaysia’s aerospace and aviation sector. Airbus’ new initiatives include the expansion of the company’s wholly-owned maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility – Sepang Aircraft Engineering (SAE); the establishment of the Airbus Malaysia Digital Initiative; and an increase in its participation in the Aerospace Malaysia Innovation Centre (AMIC). “These initiatives will significantly enhance our presence in Malaysia, which is one of our most important markets in Asia,” he…

Racing driver Anthoine Hubert died on Saturday following a crash during the Formula Two race held before this weekend’s F1 Belgian Grand Prix, the FIA announced. In a statement, the auto racing governing body said that Hubert, 22, died following a “serious incident” at Spa-Francorchamps, a three-car pile-up in the second lap of the race. “The scene was immediately attended by emergency and medical crews, and all drivers were taken to the medical center,” read the statement. “As a result of the incident, the FIA regrets to inform that the driver of car number 19, Antoine Hubert (FRA), succumbed to…