ECUADOR: 13 inmates killed in fresh fight in notorious Bellavista prison

  QUITO, July 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Thirteen inmates were killed and two others injured on Monday in yet another bloody fight in a notorious Ecuadoran prison, law enforcement officials said.    “Unfortunately, central command reports 13 (inmates) dead and two injured,” the South American country’s prison authority SNAI said on Twitter.  …

‘Water police’ patrol drought-hit Los Angeles streets

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Water Conservation Specialist Damon Ayala LOS ANGELES, July 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Damon Ayala patrols the streets of drought-stricken Los Angeles every day, inspecting the sidewalks. Each time he sees a puddle, he stops. He is part of the city’s Department of Water and…

Climate change, extreme weather costs Germany billions of euros a year: Study

BERLIN, July 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Extreme heat, drought and floods caused by climate change cost Germany at least €6.6 billion (US$6.69 billion) in damages annually on average in the past two decades, a study showed, with some severe episodes pushing losses into the tens of billions. The study by economic…

Europe burns as heatwave breaks temperature records

LONDON, July 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A fierce heatwave in western Europe left much of the continent wilting under a scorching sun, smashing temperature records and feeding ferocious forest wildfires. In Britain, the 38.1 degrees Celsius in Suffolk, eastern England, made it the hottest day of the year and the third-hottest day…

US Senate Democrats urge Pres Biden to declare climate emergency

WASHINGTON, July 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Two United States Senate Democrats urged President Joe Biden to declare a climate emergency and use the Defense Production Act to ramp up production of a wide range of renewable energy products and systems including solar panels. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jeff Merkley, speaking days…

US: Hawaii towering waves crash into homes, weddings during south swell

People walk in front of the high surf near Kapahulu Groin HONOLULU, July 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Towering waves on Hawaii’s south shores crashed into homes and businesses, spilled across highways and upended weddings over the weekend. The large waves – some more than 6m high – came from a combination…

US shooting violence: Autopsy shows Black man Jayland Walker ‘shot or grazed’ 46 times

The city of Akron has seen near-daily protests since police body camera footage showed Jayland Walker being killed in a hail of gunfire AKRON (Ohio, US), July 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A 25-year-old black man killed by Ohio police last month had 46 gunshot wounds or graze injuries on his body,…

Ghana confirms first cases of deadly Marburg virus

he Marburg virus was first detected in the city of Marburg in Germany in 1967  ACCRA, July 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ghana has confirmed its first two cases of the deadly Marburg virus, a highly infectious disease in the same family as the virus that causes Ebola. It says both patients…

Russia-Ukraine conflict: Russian Pres Putin vows to overcome ‘colossal’ high-tech problems caused by sanctions

MOSCOW, July 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to overcome the “colossal” high-tech problems the country is facing due to the onset of unprecedented Western sanctions over Ukraine. “This is a huge challenge for our country,” he told a meeting. “Realising the colossal amount of difficulties we are facing, we…

Russia-Ukraine conflict: EU warns Russia’s block on Ukraine grain could starve thousands

BRUSSELS, July  19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian ports threatens grain supplies to tens of thousands of people vulnerable to starvation and must end, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned. “It’s an issue of life and death for many human beings. And the question is that Russia has…