Europe
IEA Report: Global coal use
Global coal consumption is set to rise to an all-time high this year and remain at similar levels in the next few years if stronger efforts are not made to move to a low-carbon economy, a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) said yesterday.
Germany to sign hydrogen deal with Canada, discuss LNG
Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz will sign a deal to establish hydrogen supply chains with Canada during his two-day visit to the country next week, officials said, as Berlin accelerates its green transition to reduce dependence on Russian gas supplies.
Europe faces Covid freeze
Austria yesterday became the first country in western Europe to reimpose lockdown since vaccines were rolled out, shutting non-essential shops, bars and cafes as surging caseloads raised the prospect of a third winter in deep freeze for the continent.
Danish police arrest 13 on suspicion of planning attack in Denmark or Germany
Thirteen people have been arrested in Denmark in the last week for acquiring firearms and ingredients to make explosives on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack in either Denmark or Germany, Danish police told reporters at a briefing today.
Hungarian opposition radio forced off air as loses licence renewal case
A Hungarian opposition radio station lost an appeal against the removal of its licence today, cutting by one the already dwindling ranks of media outlets critical of the country’s nationalist government.
Britain will not introduce Covid-19 vaccine passports
Britain will not introduce Covid-19 vaccine passports, but people will be able to seek proof from their doctor if needed for travel to other countries, vaccine deployment minister Nadhim Zahawi said today.
UK PM gives October 15 deadline for Brexit deal
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has given an October 15 deadline for a post-Brexit trade agreement with the European Union, brushing off fears about "no-deal" chaos if talks fail.
EU reaches 'historic' deal on post-pandemic recovery after marathon summit
European Union leaders reached a "historic" deal on a massive stimulus plan for their coronavirus-hit economies at a meeting after a fractious summit that lasted almost five days.
Twitter says its controls are weeding out users advocating violence
Twitter says its internal controls have been allowing it to weed out accounts being used for the "promotion of terrorism" earlier rather than responding to government requests to close them down.
Water: Garments’ invisible price
Bangladesh boasts as the world’s number two garment exporter. Every third European has a t-shirt made in Bangladesh on his back. Every fifth American wears jeans manufactured in Bangladesh. But this is not a story of how many million pieces we export. This is a story of the invisible price we pay every time a jeans rolls out of a factory in Bangladesh. The western buyers little know how much water, that precious resource, was used to wash and dye his shirt. The figures are mind boggling.
Hundreds battle wildfire across southern France
Hundreds of firefighters are battling blazes across southern France, with one inferno spreading across 900 hectares of forest and threatening homes on the island of Corsica, emergency services say.
Russian metro bomb suspect a Muslim born in central Asia: Investigators
A Russian suicide bomber originally from mainly Muslim Kyrgyzstan detonated the explosives in a St Petersburg train carriage that killed 14 people and wounded 50, authorities say.
Jalaler Golpo wins another international film award
In yet another honour for Bangladesh cinema, Abu Shahed Emon directed Jalaler Golpo wins the Grand Prix - Silver Akbuzat Best Film at the Third International Festival of National and Ethnic Cinema in the Russian city of Ufa.
Autism study shows lasting benefits of early interaction
A year-long training programme to help parents communicate with their very young autistic children reduced symptoms of the disorder up to six years later, according to a follow-up analysis.
German officials urge close look at gun laws in wake of shooting
Senior German officials call for further controls on the sale of guns after Friday's deadly shooting in Munich that claimed the lives of nine people and the gunman, a deranged 18-year-old who was obsessed with mass killings.
Mustafizur Rahman’s Sussex lose to Surrey
Mustafizur Rahman’s Sussex Sharks suffer a potentially crippling blow to their NatWest T20 Blast campaign as they are comfortably defeated by Surrey at the Kia Oval by six wickets.
French lawmakers back emergency rule after Nice attack
French lawmakers approve a six-month rollover of emergency rule in the wake of last week's truck attack on the city of Nice, the third deadly assault in 18 months for which the Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility.
Armed men seize police station, hostages in Armenia: security service
A group of armed men seized a police station in Armenia's capital Yerevan along with an unknown number of hostages, the country's security service says.