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A woman sleeps next to an air conditioner vent exuding cool air at a park on a hot summer afternoon in New Delhi yesterday. (AFP) Schools in India’s capital must ring regular bells to remind schoolchildren to drink water as the megacity gears up to face heatwave conditions, a new city order has said. Summer heat in the world’s most populous nation can be brutal — putting millions of people at risk, with nearly 11,000 people dying due to heat stroke between 2012 and 2021, according to government data.A heatwave in May 2024 in New Delhi saw temperatures match the capital’s previous record high: 49.2C clocked in 2022. That year was India’s hottest year since thorough records began in 1901, with sizzling temperatures following a global pattern of extreme weather driven by climate change.The temperature yesterday morning in New Delhi and the wider sprawling metropolitan region of 30mn residents was a relatively balmy 29.4C. But weather forecasters predict temperatures will hit 41-43C later yesterday, and rise to 42-44C later in the week.The India Meteorological Department has issued a “yellow alert” for Delhi, indicating the likelihood of a heatwave later in the week. On Tuesday, guidelines issued by the Delhi education directorate asked schools in the city to adopt a plethora of steps to shield students.They included avoiding “outdoor physical activities” and conducting “awareness sessions” to remind them of the importance of hydration. “Outdoor assemblies to be curtailed or conducted in shaded/indoor areas with minimal duration,” the note read. “No open air classes to be conducted.”Quirkier directions are also on offer: schools have been asked to start a “water bell” initiative to prevent dehydration and also implement a “buddy system” for students to look out for each other. “Schools shall implement a ‘Water Bell’ system, whereby a bell is rung at regular intervals (every 45-60 minutes) reminding students to drink water to prevent dehydration,” the circular notes.“Each student may be paired up with another student during school hours to monitor and take care of the each other’s physical well-being,” it added. …
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to NCAA Collegiate National Champions in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 21,…
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) murdered at least 72,568 Palestinian civilians and injured at least 172,338 others since the beginning of the genocide that the Israeli occupation has been committing against the Gaza Strip in October 2023. Medical sources said that hospitals across the Gaza Strip received six Palestinian martyrs and 18 injured others over the past 24 hours. Since the “ceasefire” agreement went into effect in October 2025, the IOF murdered at least 791 Palestinians, and injured at least 2,235 others, while 761 bodies were pulled out from under the rubble of buildings destroyed by the Israeli occupation war machine. Source link
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup 2026 – FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw – John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C.,…
The opening ceremony, held at the Arena Theatre in Yasha Park in Sanya, featured spectacular performances. The vibrant artistic showcase highlighted Asian and Chinese identity The 6th Asian Beach Games – Sanya 2026 officially opened yesterday in a festive atmosphere reflecting the cultural diversity of Asia. The opening ceremony, held at the Arena Theatre in Yasha Park, featured a spectacular performance entitled ‘A Date with the Sea and Sky.’ The vibrant artistic showcase highlighted Asian and Chinese identity while promoting the tourist attractions and tropical nature of Hainan Island, as well as the unique coastal character of Sanya. Following the cultural performance, six athletes, including retired table tennis star Ding Ning, lit the torch to officially open the Games. The Qatari delegation made a notable appearance in the parade of nations, with aquathlon athlete Shaheen al-Kaabi and women’s beach volleyball player Haya Abu-Issa carrying the Qatari flag. Aquathlon athlete Shaheen al-Kaabi and women’s beach volleyball player…
Clearing Hormuz Strait mines could take six months: reportWashington, United States, April 23, 2026 (AFP) – A Pentagon assessment said it could take six months to completely clear the Strait of Hormuz of Iranian-laid mines, which could keep oil prices high, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday. Iran has all but blocked the vital waterway since the start of a war with the United States and Israel, sharply driving up oil and gas prices and disrupting the global economy.The strait — through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes in peacetime — has remained largely closed during a shaky ceasefire, with the US imposing its own blockade. Even if hostilities end and the blockade lifts, it could take months to clear the waterway of mines, according to a Pentagon assessment, the Washington Post reported citing officials close to the discussion. The six-month estimate was shared with members of the House Armed Services Committee during a classified briefing, the Post reported. Lawmakers were told that Iran may have placed 20 or more mines in and around the strait, some floated remotely using GPS technology which makes them harder to detect, according to the report.”A six-month closure of the Strait of Hormuz is an impossibility and completely unacceptable to the Secretary,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement shared with AFP denying the report. Parnell said the Post report was based on a “classified, closed briefing” but much of the information was “false.” Source link
A senior Iranian parliament official said on Thursday that Tehran has received the first revenue from tolls it imposed on the strategic Strait of Hormuz in its war with the United States and Israel.”The first revenue received from the Strait of Hormuz tolls was deposited into the Central Bank account,” said deputy speaker of parliament Hamidreza Hajibabaei, according to Tasnim news agency.Other Iranian media carried the same statement, without elaborating.The Strait of Hormuz, a key energy chokepoint, has become a major flashpoint since the outbreak of the Middle East war on February 28.Iran has allowed only a trickle of ships to pass through the waterway, a route that in peacetime accounts for a fifth of the world’s oil and gas flows, along with other vital commodities.Before the announcement of revenue from tolls, Iran’s parliament had been deciding whether to impose them on shipping through the strait, with Iranian officials warning that maritime traffic through the strait would “not return to its pre-war status”.On March 30, Iranian state media said the parliament’s security commission had approved plans to impose tolls, but it was not clear if a final parliamentary vote on the proposal had taken place. US President Donald Trump has been pushing Iran to open the strait.Britain, France and military planners from over 30 countries have held talks to protect navigation through the strait, with Paris and London saying they would lead a multinational mission as “soon as conditions allow”. Source link
HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), attended the opening ceremony of the Asian Beach Games – Sanya 2026, which was held at Yasha Park, in a vibrant celebratory atmosphere reflecting the rich cultural diversity of Asia. The opening ceremony was attended by a number of senior official and sporting figures, led by Shen Yiqin, State Councilor of China, Thomas Bach, Honorary President for Life of the International Olympic Committee and Husain al-Musallam, Director General of the Olympic Council of Asia, along with members of the Executive Board and a number of Vice Presidents. In attendance also were Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman al-Kuwari, Second Vice President of the QOC, Jassim bin Rashid al-Buenain, Secretary General of the QOC and Abdullah bin Nasser al-Hajri, Consul of Qatar in Guangzhou. This edition marks the first Asian sporting event to be held under the leadership of Sheikh Joaan at the OCA, signaling the beginning of a new phase for sport across the continent — one that focuses on empowering youth and strengthening the role of sport as a platform for cooperation and connection among Asian nations. The Asian Beach Games form part of the OCA’s multi-sport events calendar for 2026. They will be followed by the Asian Games in Aichi–Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, as well as the 6th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from December 13 to 21. The Asian Beach Games will continue until April 30, featuring the participation of 1,790 male and female athletes representing 45 Asian countries, with expectations for a distinguished edition both in terms of organisation and technical standards. Source link
Children in Britain who are 17 or younger, and anyone born in the future, will never be able to legally buy cigarettes after lawmakers approved new stricter restrictions on smoking. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill raises the legal age for buying tobacco by one year, every year, starting with people born on or after January 1, 2009, meaning affected age groups face a lifetime ban. The law, which is due to receive royal assent next week, also tightens controls on vaping, including banning sales of vaping and nicotine products to under-18s and restricting advertising, displays, free distribution and discounting. The government says the measures will help reduce smoking and prevent young people from becoming addicted to nicotine, easing long-term pressure on the National Health Service.Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the approval of the bill was a historic moment for the nation’s health. “Children in the UK will be part of the first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm,” he said. “Prevention is better than cure — this reform will save lives, ease pressure on the NHS, and build a healthier Britain.” Smoking causes about 64,000 deaths and 400,000 hospital admissions a year in England, according to official estimates, and costs the NHS around 3bn pounds ($4bn) annually, with wider economic costs exceeding 20bn pounds. Vaping has also become a focus for policymakers, especially over concerns about youth uptake and nicotine addiction.The government banned the sale of single-use or disposable vapes last year over concerns about youth use and environmental damage. The new legislation will tighten those rules, with ministers gaining powers to regulate the flavours and packaging of tobacco, vaping and nicotine products through secondary legislation. Around 10% of adults in Great Britain — an estimated 5.5mn people — use vapes, according to health charity Action on Smoking and Health, with levels broadly unchanged since 2024, suggesting growth has begun to plateau. About half of people who vape are former smokers, while around 40% continue to smoke alongside vaping, the charity said. Source link
China yesterday denied again that a ship intercepted by the United States contained a “gift” from Beijing for Iran, a day after US President Donald Trump made the accusation.Trump had said that an Iranian-flagged ship seized by US forces in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday contained “a gift from China”, which “wasn’t very nice”. His comments came after former US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley wrote on X that the ship was travelling from China to Iran and was linked to chemical shipments for missiles. Responding to Haley’s accusations at a regular news briefing on Tuesday, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the ship was “a foreign container ship”, and that China opposed “any malicious association and speculation”. Asked about Trump’s comments yesterday, Guo said China had already stated its position.“As a responsible major country, China has always set a good example in fulfilling its due international obligation,” he added. Trump had said on Tuesday that he was “a little surprised”, given he thought he had an “understanding” with China’s President Xi Jinping.A week ago, Trump announced that Xi had assured him there would be no Chinese weapons deliveries to Iran. Beijing is a close partner of Tehran and has called the US-Israeli strikes on Iran illegal, but it has also criticised attacks on Gulf countries and called for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened.The seized vessel, Touska, had been sailing towards the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Sunday. The guided missile destroyer USS Spruance fired several rounds from a five-inch calibre gun to disable the Iranian ship’s propulsion after directing it “to evacuate its engine room”, CENTCOM said in a post on X.The incident comes with tensions high in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit for the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, which has been virtually closed since the start of the Middle East war.Iran briefly reopened the strait on Friday in recognition of an Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire in Lebanon, but closed it again the following day in response to the US maintaining its blockade on ships travelling to and from Iranian ports. Source link