Author: Gulf News Week
Getty ImagesCoal mining was once a deadly job in China – a recent tragedy reminded the country of that timeIn Shanxi, the province that sits at the heart of China’s coal-mining industry, there’s long been a saying: “Only go down a coal pit when you have no other way out.”For decades, life in these pits was intertwined with tragedy. It became so common that it gave rise to other sayings: about how miners were “exchanging their lives for money” or “staking their lives for tomorrow” when they ventured into underground tunnels where they died from gas explosions, flooding and shaft…
Are the US and Iran close to reaching a peace deal… again?President Donald Trump has requested that edits be made to the US-Iran deal aimed at bringing an end to fighting that began earlier this year, US media reported. The changes are related to the Strait of Hormuz and the removal of highly enriched uranium, CBS News, the BBC’s US news partner, reported. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s chief negotiator, said on Sunday that Tehran would not agree to any deal unless Iranian rights were fully secured. The president and senior…
Getty ImagesIván Cepeda Castro (left) and his rival Abelardo de la Espriella (right) go head-to-head in a presidential election runoff voteColombia’s presidential election will go to a runoff on 21 June between a leftist and right-wing candidate on opposite ends of the political spectrum, after Sunday’s vote produced no overall winner.The right-wing Abelardo de la Espriella, an admirer of Donald Trump, came top in the vote, followed closely by the left-wing senator Iván Cepeda, an ally of the current president Gustavo Petro. The campaign was plagued with violence, including drone strikes, kidnappings, homicides and the assassination of a presidential candidate…
Gwyndaf Hughes/BBCThe heath-star moss has spread quickly through the UK and EuropeA new species of “killer fungus” has been discovered in Britain that destroys an aggressively invasive plant, raising hopes that decimated native habitats could be restored.It infects the heath-star moss that is damaging UK environments by taking over and turfing out other species.Scientists say it could represent a rare fightback by the British environment against invasive species.The scientist tracking the spread of the moss die-back fungus across the UK took BBC News to see its “fairy rings of death” in south Wales.He spotted dead invasive mosses on a cliffside…
Between celebration and confrontation: Paris after PSG victoryNearly 800 people were arrested after clashes with police following the Champions League final.1 hr agoEurope
Getty ImagesHealth authorities in Brazil are monitoring two patients for possible Ebola infection in the country’s two biggest cities, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. A man, 37, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) “exhibited symptoms such as fever”, São Paulo’s state government said.In Rio state, the health department said it had activated safety protocols after a Belgian man who arrived from Uganda showed “viral symptoms such as cough, chills and diarrhoea”.The test results for both patients should become available next week. There are now more than 1,000 suspected Ebola cases in DR Congo, with at least…
Getty ImagesSocial media star and Britain’s Got Talent judge KSI has announced he is leaving the YouTube collective Sidemen after 13 years.KSI, whose real name is Olajide Olatunji, has made football, comedy and challenge videos with the group – which has 23 million YouTube subscribers – since 2013.His spokesperson confirmed to the BBC that he was leaving, after many of his followers voiced suspicions that it was a stunt. Sidemen said it “came as a surprise” but wished him well.”This is honestly the hardest video I’ve ever had to make in my life,” KSI announced on YouTube.”But after a lot…
Getty ImagesUS President Donald Trump has said musical performances celebrating the country’s 250th birthday should be called off after several artists dropped out, citing the event’s affiliation with the White House.”Cancel it,” he said in a post on Truth Social, calling the slated performers “overpriced” and “boring”. As of Sunday, only a few musical acts were still scheduled to perform out of nine featured artists originally announced on Wednesday. Martina McBride, The Commodores, Young MC and Bret Michaels dropped out.Vanilla Ice and Milli Vanilli are still on for 26 June as is Flo Rida on 2 July. Trump said he…
Shwe Phee MyayA devastating explosion has killed at least 55 people and wounded dozens more in a village in a region of Myanmar under insurgent control, the BBC has been told.A source familiar with the situation on the ground in Kaung Tat, a village in Namkham Township in Shan State, near the Chinese border, said 25 women and 30 men had died. Other reports gave slightly different figures.A huge cloud of smoke could be seen billowing over the village shortly after the blast occurred on Sunday. The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), which controls the area and has been fighting…
Watch: Paris police fire tear gas in clashes with triumphant PSG fansA total of 219 people have been injured in clashes between football fans and police across France after Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) won the Champions League final against Arsenal.Eight were in a serious condition, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said. Thousands of officers were deployed to curb unrest that disrupted bus, train and rail services in the capital, Paris. Fifty-seven of them were injured.Nuñez said 780 people had been arrested over the violence – with more than 450 in custody. A person was found dead after an accident on Paris’s ring…