GULF OF PARIA, Venezuela—A Venezuelan ship carrying more than 1 million barrels of oil is listing in the Caribbean Sea, threatening to create an environmental disaster that could be the region’s worst ever. The storage and offloading vessel is listing to one side in the Gulf of Paria, between the island of Trinidad and Venezuela’s east coast, where it is permanently moored. The boat Nabarima leaning on one side is at risk of sinking off the coast of Venezuela, October 21, 2020. (Fishermen and Friends of the Sea/Newsflash)The vessel, dubbed the Nabarima, is operated by Petrosucre, a joint venture between…
Author: zenger.news
ULM, Germany—Statues of the Three Kings have been removed from a Nativity scene in Germany’s largest Protestant cathedral after King Melchior was deemed to portray outdated stereotypes. Ulm Cathedral excised the statues of the monarchs — also known as the Magi — from this year’s holiday display, a self-imposed precaution over social sensitivities around race. The 100-year old figures of Three Kings were removed as they were deemed racist by Ulm Cathedral. (Ulm Cathedral/Real Press) But the move has sparked debate across Germany. Some argue it is an attempt to rewrite history and snub tradition in the face of presumed…
A new study by the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay states that face masks can reduce the volume of cough clouds and cut down the spread of the Covid-19 virus. The study states that the size of cough clouds is seven times smaller when one wears a surgical mask and nearly 23 times smaller with an N-95 mask. The researchers said their analysis suggests that the first five to eight seconds after a person coughs are crucial for suspending the exhaled droplets in the air. “The volume of the cough-cloud without a mask is about 7 and 23 times larger…
Human rights reconciliation and negotiation for a $480 million Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grant will be on the agenda when U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visits Colombo on Oct. 27. Pompeo is expected to meet President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, and Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena to emphasize the U.S. commitment to a strong, independent and democratic Sri Lanka, and to shore up the two countries’ long-standing partnership. “… We encourage Sri Lanka to review the options we offer for transparent and sustainable economic development in contrast to discriminatory and opaque practices. We urge them to make difficult…
Asian markets are piquing investors’ interests, with China lifting the stock markets. Spurning the global anti-China murmurs, investors are pinning hopes on Chinese billionaires and IPOs. In mid-October, for the first time since 2015, the total value of China’s stock markets reached more than $10 trillion. Eyes are set on the upcoming IPO by fintech giant Ant Group, an affiliate of China’s Alibaba Group, which is looking to raise more than $34 billion in Hong Kong and Shanghai, which would make it the largest IPO in history, surpassing last year’s Saudi Aramco $29.4 billion IPO. Ant expects to raise the…
Two brown bear cubs rescued from the Albanian wilderness are busy making themselves comfortable in their new English home. The Wildwood Trust, a wildlife conservation charity currently housing the young pair (named Lucy and Mish) at its facility in Kent, shared a video of them showing off their digging skills on Oct. 19. In the footage, one of the cubs works on excavating a hole in the ground while the other watches. Orphaned Albanian bear cubs rescued (@thewildwoodtrust/Clipzilla)“Mish and Lucy are so into digging these days, that their keepers are worried they may soon reach Australia,” the Wildwood Trust said.…
Minutes after Prime Minister Narenda Modi’s recent address to the nation on the Covid-19 pandemic streamed on YouTube, a number of social media users protested, complaining that ratings were blocked. “We, all the Indians have come a long way in the fight against Corona, since the Janata Curfew [in March] till today,” Modi said at the beginning of his address on Oct. 20. “But we must not forget that even though the lockdown has been lifted, the virus is still present. We must not allow the stable situation that India has been able to achieve in the last seven-eight months with…
A picture-postcard Romanian lake that three months ago had a water surface of about 1,235 acres is now a lifeless desert, according to green groups, causing irreparable damage to local biodiversity. Lake Lezer Calarasi is located in southern Romania in the vicinity of the Danube River. Environmental advocates say the Romanian government ignored the crisis, wiping out not just the local flora and fauna, but also threatening thousands of migrating birds, including rare species such as red-breasted geese, which will arrive to their winter-feeding grounds in less than two months. Romania’s Lake Lezer Calarasi before drying up. (Societatea Ornitologica Romana/Newsflash)During…
Sri Lanka’s parliament on Oct. 22 passed the controversial 20th Amendment to the Constitution, expanding the powers of the president and diminishing the role of the prime minister, among other major changes. The amendment passed by a two-thirds vote after the second and third readings. Of the 225 parliamentarians, 156 voted for and 65 voted against. The new measure gives the president the power to dissolve parliament after two years and six months of taking charge or through a resolution passed by half of the members, and also grants him the authority to remove the prime minister. It replaces the…
FIORANO MODENESE, Italy—An Italian couple has tied the knot in “three mini weddings” to accommodate the country’s 30-guest Covid-19 rule for nuptials. The newlyweds Giulia Fabbiani and Jacopo Catellani who had a wedding in three rounds because of Covid guests restrictions. (Newsflash)Jacopo Cattelani and Gulia Fabbiani learned about the measure a few days before the wedding in the commune of Fiorano Modenese in the northern Italian province of Modena on Oct. 17. “We had three mini weddings, which lasted four hours each, so that we could celebrate with everyone. We had already postponed everything in May; moving it again would…