EARTH: Scientists say last summer was the hottest summer on record in Europe, with temperatures a full 1°C higher than the average.
The EU’s Copernicus climate change service said yesterday that while spring 2021 was cooler than average, the summer months were marked by “severe and long-lasting heatwaves."
The high temperatures contributed to wildfires such as those seen in Siberia, Greece and Turkey last year, and experts warn that heavy rainfall of the kind that led to extreme flooding in Belgium and Germany last July is more likely.
KOREAS: The leaders of the North and South have exchanged letters expressing hope for improved bilateral relations.
North Korea’s state media said leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday received a personal letter from outgoing South Korean President Moon Jae In and replied on Thursday with his own letter appreciating Mr Moon’s peace efforts during his term.
Mr Moon acknowledged setbacks in their relations but insisted that their aspirational vows for peace during their summits in 2018 and an accompanying military agreement aimed at defusing border area clashes remain relevant as a foundation for future co-operation.
KASHMIR: Six suspected rebels and an Indian paramilitary officer were killed in two separate armed clashes in the Indian-controlled region, police said yesterday, two days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit.
A gunfight broke out on the outskirts of southern Jammu city early on Friday after police and soldiers spotted a group of militants in Sunjwan.
The far-right PM is scheduled to speak on Sunday in his first public event in the disputed region since he stripped it of its semi-autonomous status in 2019.
CATALONIA: The regional government’s head accused Spain’s intelligence agency on Thursday of conducting “massive political espionage” on the independence movement.
Pere Aragones shared examples of techniques used to infiltrate the phones of dozens of elected Catalan officials, activists, lawyers and others.
He said the agency has yet to deny having purchased controversial spyware from Israel’s NSO Group.
Citizen Lab, a cybersecurity research group, has revealed that at least 65 people, most of them directly linked to the Catalan separatist camp, were targeted with Pegasus or similar spyware.
