Lava from Spanish volcano reaching ocean; officials warn of toxic gases
Pictures showing lava from a volcano on Spain’s La Palma island reaching ocean have surfaced online. Officials said lava flowing into the sea could trigger explosions and clouds of toxic gases, adding that those outdoors should immediately find a safe place to shelter. The lava reached the ocean nine days after it started to flow down the mountain.
North Korea says it fired hypersonic missile into sea; releases picture
The projectile North Korea fired into the sea was a newly developed hypersonic missile, state news media KCNA reported as it released a picture of the weapon. The development of the weapon system increases North Korea’s defence capabilities, KCNA said, calling the hypersonic missile a “strategic weapon”, which usually means it has nuclear capabilities.
Singapore’s population shrinks to 54.5 lakh in sharpest fall since 1970
Singapore’s total population shrank by 4.1% to 54.5 lakh in June 2021 indicating the sharpest fall since the government began collecting such data in 1970. The fall in population is largely due to a fall in non-resident numbers and a decrease in foreign employment amidst COVID-19. Both citizen and permanent resident (PR) populations saw year-on-year declines for the first time.
Afghan Army’s collapse took us all by surprise: US Defence Secretary
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday said, “The fact that the Afghan Army we and our partners trained simply melted away – in many cases without firing a shot – took us all by surprise.” “It would be dishonest to claim otherwise,” he added. Austin made the comments during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.
Cavers enter 367-ft-deep sinkhole known as ‘Well of Hell’ for 1st time in Yemen
A team of Omani cavers has made what is believed to be the first descent to the bottom of Yemen’s fabled ‘Well of Hell’, a sinkhole that is 100-foot-wide and 367-foot-deep. Locals avoided it as many of them believed it to be a ‘prison for genies’. The cavers found snakes, dead animals and cave pearls at the bottom.
