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☆ Sweden and Iran exchange prisoners in breakthrough deal, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-15 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Stockholm Reuters —Sweden and Iran carried out a prisoner exchange on Saturday, officials said, with Sweden freeing a former Iranian official convicted for his role in a mass execution in the 1980s while Iran released two Swedes being held there. “Iran used them both as pawns in a cynical negotiations game with the purpose of getting the Iranian citizen Hamid Noury released from prison in Sweden. Noury was freed in a prisoner swap with Iran, Sweden said on Saturday. Swedish-Iranian dual national Saeed Azizi was arrested in Iran in November 2023 on what Sweden called “wrongful grounds.”Another Swedish-Iranian dual national, Ahmadreza Djalali, arrested in 2016, remains in an Iranian jail. An emergency medicine doctor, Djalali was arrested in 2016 while on an academic visit to Iran.

Persons: Hamid Noury, Noury, Ulf Kristersson, Johan Floderus, Saeed Azizi, ” Kristersson, Kristersson, Anders Humlebo, Ahmadreza Djalali, Djalali Organizations: Stockholm Reuters —, Swedish, TT, Agency, AFP, Getty, National Council of Resistance, Islamic, European Union Locations: Stockholm, Stockholm Reuters — Sweden, Iran, Sweden, Oman, Tehran, ”, “ Iran, Karaj, Islamic Republic, Floderus, Israel, Iranian, Swedish

☆ South Africa’s governing alliance emerges as the new parliament convenes
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Reuters —The African National Congress has agreed to form a government of national unity for South Africa with three other parties including its largest rival, the pro-business Democratic Alliance, public broadcaster SABC reported on Friday. The SABC report came as the newly elected parliament was convening for the first time and lawmakers were in the process of being sworn in. The chamber will later elect its speaker, deputy speaker and the country’s president. SABC said the unity government would include the ANC, the DA, the socially conservative Inkatha Freedom Party and the right-wing Patriotic Alliance. The session was taking place in a Cape Town convention centre as the parliament complex was damaged by fire in 2022.

Persons: ”, Sihle Zikalala, John Steenhuisen, Cyril Ramaphosa, Raymond Zondo, Helen Zille, Ramaphosa, “, Jacob Zuma Organizations: Reuters, African National Congress, Democratic Alliance, SABC, ANC, DA, Freedom Party, Patriotic Alliance, National Assembly, Fighters, Party, IFP, The Patriotic Alliance, Capital Economics, EFF, MK, ”, Economics Locations: South Africa, Cape Town, London, policymaking

☆ Mexico drought: Thousands of dead fish pile up on dried out lagoon
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Thousands of dead fish have blanketed the surface of a lagoon in Mexico’s northern state of Chihuahua, with local officials blaming an intense drought. Chihuahua state has been hit particularly hard with most of its territory engulfed by the most extreme levels of dryness. Mass fish deaths in the area have happened in previous years when the lagoon dried up, stranding fish. A municipal worker spreading quicklime over dead fish to reduce the stench, at the dry bed of the Bustillos Lagoon on June 7, 2024. At the lagoon, local authorities are racing to cover the dead fish with quicklime, concerned their rapid decomposition under the baking sun could endanger public health by attracting insects and spreading disease.

Persons: Irma de la Pena, “, De la Pena, Jose Luis Gonzalez, ”, Jesus Maria Palacios, Saul Sausameda Organizations: CNN, Ecology Department, Reuters, Reuters Livestock Locations: Chihuahua, Anahuac, Mexico, Cuauhtemoc

☆ Dutch tourist accused of graffitiing ancient Roman villa in Herculaneum
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Reuters —A tourist from the Netherlands has defaced a frescoed wall in an ancient Roman house in Herculaneum, near Naples, damaging a building that survived the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, Italian police said on Monday. The police statement said the 27-year-old tourist was swiftly identified after staff at the archaeological site discovered tagged graffiti writing made with a black, indelible marker pen on a white section of a painted wall. The tourist, who was not named, faces charges of damage and defacement of artistic works. It is not the first time that historical monuments have been vandalised by tourists in Italy. In response to repeated acts of vandalism, Italy this year introduced tougher penalties on those who damage monuments and cultural sites, imposing fines of up to €40,000 (around $43,500) for those found guilty of defacing monuments.

Persons: Gennaro Sangiuliano, Emanuele II Organizations: Reuters, Police, Galleria Locations: Netherlands, Herculaneum, Naples, Vesuvius, Italy, England

☆ Duolingo deletes LGBT references in Russia after warning from Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Roskomnadzor, Russia’s communication regulator, had written to Duolingo, warning it against publishing material promoting non-traditional sexual relations and LGBT propaganda. “We support LGBTQ+ rights and believe in normalizing LGBTQ+ representation in our content,” a Duolingo spokesperson said. “Unfortunately, local laws prohibit us from including certain content in Russia. “The company Duolingo sent Roskomnadzor a letter in response, in which it confirmed that it had deleted materials promoting non-traditional sexual relations from its training app,” Russian news agencies quoted Roskomnadzor as saying on Tuesday. Russian courts have issued fines for those that violate its “LGBT propaganda” law, including online film distributors and executives.

Persons: “, Vladimir Putin, we’re, ”, Duolingo, Roskomnadzor Organizations: Reuters, Moscow Locations: Russia, Russian

☆ Spanish police recover stolen Francis Bacon painting worth $5.4 million
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Reuters —Spanish police said on Thursday they had recovered a painting by the late Irish-born British figurative artist Francis Bacon, worth an estimated €5 million ($5.42 million), and one of five stolen from a Madrid home in 2015. The 1989 “Study for Portrait of José Capelo” is the fourth painting to be recovered of the group, which is estimated to be worth a combined €25 million. The recovered painting is worth an estimated €5 million. Spanish Police/ReutersIn February, police arrested two people accused of the receipt of stolen artworks in the Spanish capital, leading them to ultimately discover the painting at a property in Madrid. Since he died, his reputation has grown steadily and so has the valuation of his works on the art market.

Persons: Francis Bacon, José, Bacon Organizations: Reuters, Spanish Police, Police Locations: Irish, British, Madrid, Spanish, Eastern Europe, Dublin

☆ Nepali sherpa scales Everest for record 30th time
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Reuters —A Nepali sherpa guide topped the summit of Mount Everest for a record 30th time on Wednesday, an official said, his second ascent in 10 days. Ordinary climbers are known to take several days to climb the summit of Everest, and it is very rare for mountaineers to make multiple ascents in a short time. Kami Rita Sherpa, 54, reached the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) peak by the traditional southeast ridge route, Nepali tourism official Khim Lal Gautam said. Kami Rita had climbed the peak for the 29th time on May 12. Another sherpa climber has climbed Everest 27 times, the most summits after Kami Rita.

Persons: Reuters —, Rita Sherpa, Khim Lal Gautam, Kami Rita, “, ” Gautam, Rita Organizations: Reuters, Everest Locations: Mount, Everest, Nepal

☆ Dead monkeys are dropping from Mexico’s trees in brutal heat wave
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Threatened howler monkeys have been dropping dead from trees in Mexico’s southeastern tropical forests in recent weeks amid a nationwide drought and heat waves that have sent temperatures soaring across much of the country. In a statement over the weekend, Tabasco’s Civil Protection agency attributed the monkeys’ deaths to dehydration. A source from the agency told Reuters on Monday that monkeys have been confirmed dead in three municipalities of the state. Volunteers observe dead monkeys that fell from trees amid a heat wave in Buena Vista, Comalcalco, Mexico on May 18, 2024. Mexico’s health ministry reported a preliminary count of 26 people who have died from heat-related causes between the start of Mexico’s heat season on March 17 and May 11.

Persons: Luis Manuel Lopez, I’ve, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, ”, El Niño Organizations: CNN, Reuters, International Union for Conservation of, . Volunteers, Civil Locations: Tabasco, Camalcalco, Buena Vista, Comalcalco, Mexico

☆ Slovak PM Fico no longer in immediate danger but condition serious, deputy says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Reuters —Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is no longer in immediate danger but still in a serious condition, his deputy said on Sunday, four days after an assassination attempt that sent shockwaves through Europe. “We are all a little calmer,” Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kalinak told a news conference outside the hospital where Fico is being treated in the central Slovak town of Banska Bystrica. The prime minister, 59, was hit by four bullets on Wednesday in an attack that raised alarm over the polarized state of politics in the central European country of 5.4 million people. Kalinak told journalists that Fico’s condition was still too serious to consider transferring him to hospital in the capital. Local news media say the suspect is a 71-year-old former security guard at a shopping mall and the author of three collections of poetry.

Persons: Robert Fico, Robert Kalinak, Kalinak, Juraj C Organizations: Reuters, Slovak Locations: Europe, Slovak, Banska Bystrica, Slovakia

☆ Orcas sink sailing yacht in Strait of Gibraltar
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Reuters —An unknown number of orcas have sunk a sailing yacht after ramming it in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain’s maritime rescue service said on Monday, a new attack in what has become a trend in the past four years. The passengers reported feeling sudden blows to the hull and rudder before water started seeping into the ship. After alerting the rescue services, a nearby oil tanker took them onboard and transported them to Gibraltar. The incident is the latest example of recurring orca rammings around the Gibraltar Strait that separates Europe from Africa and off the Atlantic coast of Portugal and northwestern Spain. Although known as killer whales, endangered orcas are part of the dolphin family.

Organizations: Reuters Locations: Strait, Gibraltar, Cognac, Europe, Africa, Portugal, Spain

☆ Catalonia: Spain’s socialists hail ‘new era’ as Catalan separatist support dims in elections
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Barcelona, Spain — Spain’s Socialists won the biggest share of the vote in Sunday’s Catalan elections, dealing a serious blow to more than a decade of separatist governance and the independence dreams still nursed by some in the wealthy northeastern region. Spain’s largest opposition party, the conservative People’s Party, also had a good night, seeing the biggest increase since the last vote in 2021 from three seats to 15 on Sunday. Socialist candidate Salvador Illa makes a toast with members of his team and party colleagues after the announcement of the results of the elections. Emilio Morenatti/APSpeaking as the voting count concluded, Illa hailed a “new era” for the region. Illa’s Socialists will also need to forge an agreement - most likely with the ERC - but separatist parties until now have rejected any suggestion of helping the national ruling party govern in Catalonia.

Persons: Spain —, Salvador Illa, Junts, Esquerra, Pedro Sanchez’s, Emilio Morenatti, Illa, Pere Aragones, Carles Puigdemont, Joan Esculies, ” Organizations: Spain — Spain’s Socialists, Socialists, People’s Party, Socialist, restive, ERC, CUP, Illa’s Socialists, AC Locations: Barcelona, Spain, Sunday’s, Catalonia, restive Catalonia, Junts

☆ Kim Ki Nam: North Korean propaganda chief who served all three leaders dies
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Kim Ki Nam, one of the longest-serving North Korean officials who served all three generations of its leaders cementing their political legitimacy and heading the propaganda apparatus for the dynastic state, has died, official media said on Wednesday. North Korea leader Kim Jong Un visited the bier of Kim at 2 a.m. on Wednesday to pay tribute “with bitter grief over the loss of a veteran revolutionary who had remained boundlessly loyal” to the country until the very end, it said. Kim died on Tuesday at the age of 94, official KCNA news agency said. Kim exerted tremendous influence on policy and personnel and was a key architect of the ruling Workers’ Party’s political foundation, according to North Korea expert Michael Madden at the Stimson Center. He was particularly close to Kim Jong-il, the father of the current leader who died in 2011, and was believed to be his “drinking buddy,” Madden said citing sources.

Persons: CNN — Kim Ki Nam, Kim Jong Un, Kim, ”, “, ” KCNA, Kim Dae, Kim Il, Michael Madden, Kim Jong, ” Madden Organizations: CNN, North Korean, North, South, Stimson Locations: North Korea, Pyongyang, Korea

☆ Indonesia volcanic eruptions: Government to permanently relocate almost 10,000 residents
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters —The Indonesian government will permanently relocate almost 10,000 residents after a series of explosive eruptions of the Ruang volcano has raised concerns about the dangers of residing on the island in future, a minister said on Friday. “As instructed by President Joko Widodo, we will build houses that meet disaster-standards,” he said, adding that the site was located about 200 km (125 miles) from Ruang island. A view of Mount Ruang volcano on Wednesday, the day after it erupted three times, forcing authorities to issue evacuation orders for 12,000 locals. The volcano had not erupted on Friday but Manado’s Sam Ratulangi Airport remained closed until the evening due to the spread of volcanic ash. Indonesia straddles the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire,” an area of high seismic activity where multiple tectonic plates meet.

Persons: Muhadjir Effendy, “, Joko Widodo, ”, Ronny Adolof, Ruang, Sam Ratulangi Organizations: Reuters, Human Development, Getty Locations: Indonesian, North Sulawesi, Manado, Ruang, AFP, Manado . Roads, Tagulandang, Indonesia

☆ Diego Maradona’s children call for moving body to mausoleum for safety and tribute
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Reuters —Diego Maradona’s children filed a request with the Argentine Courts on Thursday to move the former football great’s body “to a much safer place” and for fans “to pay tribute” in a mausoleum. Maradona’s remains lie in a private cemetery on the outskirts of Buenos Aires where he was carried in November 2020 in a massive funeral procession. The mausoleum, called “Memorial del Diez,” is located behind the Casa Rosada, the seat of the executive branch of the Argentine government, and will be open to the public, Veronica Ojeda, mother of Maradona’s youngest son, told local media. Maradona died at age 60 in November 2020 from a heart attack. Fans of Napoli and of the Argentine national team worshipped him as the “god of football.”

Persons: Reuters — Diego Maradona’s, “, Veronica Ojeda, Maradona’s, ”, Gianinna Maradona, Ojeda, Diego Maradona Jr, Maradona Organizations: Reuters, Argentine, Casa, Dalma, Argentina, Napoli Locations: Buenos Aires, ”, Argentine

☆ India deports Myanmar refugees who fled 2021 coup
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Guwahati, India — India on Thursday deported the first group of Myanmar refugees who had sought shelter after a 2021 military coup, a top state minister said, following weeks of efforts that were hampered by fighting between Myanmar’s rebel forces and the ruling junta. Thousands of civilians and hundreds of troops from Myanmar have crossed the border to India after the coup. This has worried New Delhi, which has announced plans to fence its border with Myanmar and end a visa-free movement policy. “Without any discrimination, we have completed the first phase of deportation of illegal immigrants from Myanmar,” Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said in a social media post. “The state government is continuing the identification of illegal immigrants.”Thousands of people have crossed from Myanmar into India since the 2021 coup, like these civilians seen in India's border state of Mizoram on November 20, 2021.

Persons: Biren Singh, Rupak De Chowdhuri, Singh, Narendra Modi’s, Modi Organizations: “, Reuters, Indian, Refugee Convention, Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party Locations: Guwahati, India, Myanmar, New Delhi, Manipur, India's, Mizoram

☆ Burkina Faso army executed over 220 villagers in February, HRW says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Reuters —Burkina Faso’s military in February summarily executed about 223 villagers, including at least 56 children, as part of a campaign against civilians accused of collaborating with jihadist militants, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Thursday. The spokesperson for the Burkina Faso government did not respond to phone calls seeking comment on the HRW report. Retaliatory attacksRights groups have previously accused the military in junta-ruled Burkina Faso of attacking and killing civilians suspected of collaborating with militants in retaliatory operations. Burkina Faso is one of several Sahel nations that have been struggling to contain Islamist insurgencies linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State that have spread from neighboring Mali since 2012, killing thousands and displacing millions. Frustrations over authorities’ failure to protect civilians have contributed to two coups in Mali, two in Burkina Faso and one in Niger since 2020.

Persons: Witnesses, HRW, Tirana Hassan, Mali’s Organizations: Reuters, Burkina, jihadist, Human Rights Watch, Ouahigouya, HRW, Facebook, Burkina Faso, Authorities, Rights Watch, Burkinabe, African Union, United Nations, Islamic Locations: Burkina Faso’s, Yatenga, Burkina Faso, Komsilga, Burkina, Nodin, Soro, al Qaeda, Islamic State, Mali, Niger

☆ Horses running loose in central London, police say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Reuters —A number of horses are loose in central London, with the army called in to help locate them, police in the British capital said on Wednesday. Footage posted by social media users showed a saddled white horse covered in blood running through the street alongside a black one. “We are aware of a number of horses that are currently loose in central London and are working with colleagues, including the Army, to locate them,” the Westminster branch of London’s police said on X. ET) to reports of a person being thrown from a horse on Buckingham Palace Road in central London, a spokesperson for the service said. The Telegraph newspaper reported that five cavalry horses had run loose while exercising at Horse Guards Parade, the ceremonial parade ground in Westminster, close to Buckingham Palace and the Whitehall government district.

Organizations: Reuters, Army, London Ambulance Service, City of London Police, Telegraph, Horse Guards Locations: London, Westminster, Buckingham, City, Whitehall

☆ Belgian man whose body creates alcohol in rare condition acquitted of drunk driving
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Brussels, Belgium CNN —A Belgian man was acquitted of drunk driving on Monday because he suffers from auto-brewery syndrome (ABS), a rare condition whereby the body produces alcohol, his lawyer said. Anse Ghesquiere told Reuters that in “another unfortunate coincidence” her client works at a brewery, but three doctors who independently examined him confirmed he suffered from ABS. The Bruges police court, which acquitted the man, did not immediately reply to an email from Reuters. Lisa Florin, clinical biologist with Belgian hospital AZ Sint-Lucas, explained that people with the condition produce the same type of alcohol as the one in alcoholic drinks but that they generally feel less of its effects. She added that people are not born with ABS but can get it when they already suffer from another intestine-related condition.

Persons: Belgium CNN —, Anse Ghesquiere, Lisa Florin, Lucas Organizations: Belgium CNN, Reuters, ABS, Belgian, AZ Sint Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Belgian, Bruges

☆ Malaysia helicopter crash kills 10 navy crew members in Lumut collision
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — Ten people were killed on Tuesday after two helicopters collided in mid-air during a rehearsal for a Royal Malaysian Navy parade, the navy said in a statement. All 10 were crew members aboard the aircraft involved in the accident, which occurred at the Lumut naval base in the western state of Perak at 9:32 a.m. local time, the navy said. “All victims were confirmed dead at the scene and sent to the Lumut army base hospital for identification,” the navy said. This is a breaking news story. More to follow …

Organizations: Royal Malaysian Navy Locations: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Perak

☆ Nymphia Wind: Taiwan president sends congratulations for ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ win
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Taipei, Taiwan — Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Saturday offered her congratulations to Taiwanese drag queen Nymphia Wind for winning “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” the first person from East Asia to take the crown. “Congratulations to you, Nymphia Wind, for being so accomplished in the difficult art form of drag, and for being the first Taiwanese to take the stage and win on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’,” Tsai wrote on Instagram in English. “Right after being crowned queen, you said ‘Taiwan, this is for you.’ Taiwan thanks you for living fearlessly.”Nymphia Wind and other drag queens prepare for a performance in Taipei on October 21, 2023. Stars from “Drag Race,” which has just ended its 16th season, also come to Taiwan to perform. Ann Wang/ReutersTaiwan’s openness on LGBTQ+ issues stands in marked contrast with its giant neighbor China, which claims the island as its own territory.

Persons: Tsai Ing, Tsai, ” Tsai, Ann Wang, Lai Ching, Taiwan’s Organizations: Democratic Progressive Party, DPP, Reuters, Pride Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, East Asia, Asia, East, China

☆ Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi moved to house arrest
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Myanmar’s detained former leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has been moved from prison to house arrest, a spokesperson for the military government told media. It was not immediately clear where Suu Kyi had been moved to. Suu Kyi has been detained by the Myanmar military since it overthrew her government in a 2021 coup. A spokesperson for the NUG shadow government called for the unconditional release of Suu Kyi and U Win Myint, Myanmar’s ousted president, who has also been moved to house arrest according to the media reports. They must take full responsibility for the health and security of Aung San Suu Kyi and U Win Myint,” spokesperson Kyaw Zaw told Reuters late on Tuesday.

Persons: Myanmar’s, Nobel, Aung, Suu Kyi, Zaw Min Tun, Min Tun, Kim Aris, Kyaw Zaw Organizations: Aung, Reuters Locations: heatstroke, Zaw, Myanmar

☆ Truong My Lan: Vietnam tycoon sentenced to death in $12 billion fraud case
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Hanoi CNN —A court in Vietnam sentenced real estate tycoon Truong My Lan Thursday to death over her role in a 304 trillion dong ($12.46 billion) financial fraud case, the country’s biggest on record, state media reported. The crackdown, dubbed “blazing furnace,” has seen hundreds of senior state officials and high-profile business executives prosecuted or forced to step down. Lan and her accomplices were accused of siphoning off more than 304 trillion dong from Saigon Joint Stock Commercial Bank, or SCB, which she effectively controlled through dozens of proxies, according to investigators. From early 2018 through October 2022, when the state bailed out SCB after a run on its deposits, Lan appropriated large sums by arranging unlawful loans to shell companies, investigators said. Lan will appeal the verdict, a family member told Reuters before it was issued.

Persons: Hanoi CNN —, Truong, Van Thinh, Vietnam’s, Nguyen Phu Trong, ”, Lan Organizations: Hanoi CNN, Van Thinh Phat Holdings Group, Communist Party, Stock Commercial Bank, Reuters Locations: Hanoi, Vietnam, Chi Minh City, Saigon

☆ Coal power grew in 2023 driven by China’s expansion and a slowdown of US plant closures
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The world’s coal-fired power capacity grew 2% last year, its highest annual increase since 2016, driven by new builds in China and decommissioning delays elsewhere, according to research published on Thursday. Coal-fired capacity outside China also grew for the first time since 2019, while worldwide only 21.1 GW was shut down, the survey found. Currently, however, another 578 GW of coal capacity is in development. China’s coal plant retirement rate was also at its lowest in a decade last year, amid concerns over energy security. With coal-fired power incompatible with China’s declared longer-term climate goals, GEM said China is running the risk of being lumbered with billions of yuan in stranded assets.

Persons: Flora Champenois, “, ” Champenois, China’s, ” Organizations: CNN, Global Energy Monitor, GEM, International Energy Agency Locations: China, Paris, India

☆ South Korea midterms: Opposition wins landslide parliamentary vote in resounding blow to Yoon
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Heather Chen | Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —South Korea’s liberal opposition parties scored a landslide victory in a parliamentary election held on Wednesday, dealing a resounding blow to President Yoon Suk Yeol and his conservative party but likely falling just short of a super majority. A splinter liberal party considered allied with the DP was expected to take at least 10 seats, projections showed. It marked the highest ever turnout for a parliamentary election, though the numbers were down from the 2022 presidential vote that narrowly brought Yoon to power. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, watches election results at his district office in Incheon, South Korea, on Thursday, April 11, 2024. “Given his likely lame duck status, the temptation for Yoon will be to focus on foreign policy where he will still have statutory power,” Richey said.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon Suk, Lee Jae, myung, Lee, Yoon, ”, Kim Keon Hee, SeongJoon Cho, Mason Richey, “, ” Richey Organizations: South Korea CNN, South, Democratic Party, National Election Commission, Dior, People Power Party, Election Commission, NEC, Bloomberg, Getty, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Incheon

☆ Russia flooding: Anger boils over for some in Ural region
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Billy Stockwell | Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Russia declared an emergency in the Orenburg region near Kazakhstan after the Ural River, Europe’s third longest river, swelled several meters in hours on Friday, and burst through a dam embankment in the city of Orsk. Some are also unhappy that the dam embankment built in 2010 was unable to defend their city. An aerial view shows the scale of flooding in the city of Orsk, Orenburg Region, Russia. The Ural River rises in the Ural Mountains and flows into the Caspian Sea. The mayor of Orenburg, Sergei Salmin, said the Ural River was expected to break the previous record of 9.46 meters.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, “ Putin, Denis Pasler, “, ” Pasler, Vladimir Astapkovich, Putin, Alexander Kurenkov, Kurenkov’s, Alexander Moor, Sergei Salmin, ” Salmin, Vadim Shumkov, ” Organizations: Reuters, Tass, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry, AP Emergency, Orsk, ” Tass Locations: Russia, Orenburg, Kazakhstan, Orsk, Moscow, Orenburg Region, Kurgan, Tyumen, Siberia, Tyumen region, Western Siberia, Ural

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