Illegal timber seized in Myanmar
Yangon: Myanmar authorities have seized over 360 tonnes of illegal timber from across the country in one week, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Forest Department under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation.
According to the statement, the authorities confiscated 128.2 tonnes of illegal teak, 84.7 tonnes of hardwood and 151.1 tonnes of other types of timber from across the country from August 10 to 16. During this period, 38 offenders were charged in connection with the cases, along with the seizure of 27 vehicles and machinery. (IANS)
Amazon continues to burn
Novo Progresso (Brazil): A year ago this month, the forest around the town of Novo Progresso erupted into flames the first major blazes in the Brazilian Amazon’s dry season that ultimately saw more than 100,000 fires and spurred global outrage against the government’s inability or unwillingness to protect the rainforest.
This year, President Jair Bolsonaro pledged to control the burning typically started by local farmers to clear land for cattle or to grow soybeans, one of Brazil’s top exports. He imposed a four-month ban on most fires and sent in the army to prevent and battle blazes. But this week the smoke is again so thick around Novo Progresso that police have reported motorists have crashed because they can’t see. (AP)
Typhoon Higos hits China
Beijing: Typhoon Higos made landfall on China’s southern coast on Wednesday, bringing high winds and rain as it weakened to a tropical storm.
The typhoon came ashore at Zhuhai, a city in Guangdong province, with maximum sustained winds of 126 kilometers per hour, China’s National Meteorological Center said. The winds had fallen to 108 kph (67 mph) three hours later as it moved west toward the neighbouring Guangxi region. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. (AP)
2 strong quakes shake Indonesia
Jakarta: Two powerful and shallow undersea earthquakes shook western Indonesia on Wednesday, causing panic but no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
The US Geological Survey said the magnitude 6.8 earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres under the sea. It was centered in Bengkulu province on Sumatra island, 144.5 kilometres west-southwest of Bengkulu city, USGS said. It also was felt in several provinces on the island. (AP)