Author: Ethan Johnson
Bricks made from alternative materials are helping Bangladesh meet its infrastructure needs without damaging the topsoil or causing excessive air pollution. Demand for bricks has risen in Bangladesh in recent years thanks to public and private infrastructure development, but the country's brick factories use 3.35 billion cubic feet of topsoil and clay annually, according to a report by the government's Ministry of Environment. This is a problem because topsoil degradation threatens sustainable agriculture. Although farmers make short-term profits by selling the soil for brick production, studies have found that the practice reduces yields by 40-80% and incomes by 40-70%, ultimately…
Australia is poised to be a major player in the clean energy transition thanks to the government's proposed A$23 billion (more than $15 billion) “Future Made in Australia” package, which includes tax incentives for renewable hydrogen projects.The government's massive stimulus package aims to expand domestic manufacturing and accelerate the transition to a pollution-free future, with A$13.7 billion (around $9 billion) earmarked for subsidies for green hydrogen and the processing of 31 critical minerals, as reported by The Guardian.According to ABC Australia, from 2027 the government will offer a 10% production tax credit to help ease the cost burden for companies…
A Hong Kong court has found the former director of an engineering consultancy guilty of falsifying and concealing government inspection results and defrauding about HK$2 million (US$255,800). The world's longest ocean crossingHowever, another former senior official was acquitted.Albert Leung Wing-keun, a former operations director at Jacobs China Limited (JCL), has become the top executive held accountable for fraudulent activities at a testing laboratory set up to monitor the quality of concrete used in the multi-billion-dollar construction of the 55km-long Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.District Judge Ada Lim Shunyi on Saturday found Leung guilty of fraud, highlighting that he deliberately failed to report…
As a 20-week-old fetus, Choi Hee-woo joined a landmark climate change lawsuit against South Korea, becoming one of the youngest plaintiffs in the world. In late May, South Korea's Constitutional Court held the final hearing of the first lawsuit in East Asia to challenge the country's climate policy. Hiu, now 18 months old, and more than 60 other children are awaiting sentencing, scheduled for later this year. So what did their lawsuit challenge, and where does South Korea stand on climate change? What are the climate issues facing Korean children? South Korea's Constitutional Court has heard a landmark case that…
Oregon State University's new student government association was sworn in Friday in the Coastal Club section of Leather Stadium, installing new president Audrey Schlotter and vice president Zach Kowash. Schlotter and Kowash were the two presidential candidates who won this year's Oregon State University Student Body elections. They ran on the platform of “Building Back Better Beaver State.” Their policies focused on student community engagement and support, student health and well-being, and financial wellness. Sofia Nawaz was elected chair of the Student Fees Committee, while the SFC at-large seats were won by Sages Abbott, Lillian Goodyear, Dylan Perfect, Cole Peters…
The San Luis Delta Mendota Water District received $75 million for the construction of Sisk Dam. The funding comes from a bipartisan infrastructure bill of 2021 aimed at strengthening off-stream water storage capabilities. advertisement The big picture: Raising B.F. Sisk Dam by 10 feet would provide approximately 130,000 acre-feet of additional water storage. Given that water customers have only received 40% of their total contracted amounts this year, the additional water would have improved reliability and operational flexibility if the expansion had been completed before the 2023 water year. What they're saying: “We thank the Bureau of Reclamation for this…
Miami-Dade County is trying for the second time to buy the 625,000-square-foot office building, reducing its bid by $23 million after the initial bid came under scrutiny. The former headquarters of Florida Power & Electric Co. will become a base for government agencies. The county commission is scheduled to vote June 4 to approve the purchase of the office building at 9250 W. Flagler St. for $182 million. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levin Cava wants to consolidate several government agencies in the building. The commission had postponed a vote in December to buy the $205 million property after skepticism about…
May 31 (UPI) — A retired U.S. Navy admiral was arrested Friday along with two other company executives on charges related to a bribery scheme involving government contracts. According to a statement from the Department of Justice, retired four-star Navy Admiral Robert Burke, 62, is accused of using his influence to secure Navy contracts with workforce training companies from 2020 to 2022. advertisement Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Megan Messenger are co-CEOs of NextJump, a New York City-based training company that ran a pilot program to train small Navy companies from August 2018 to July 2019 before the Navy terminated its…
Alexander Smith Powerpoint The presentation did not seem designed to be controversial: Slides highlighting the poor maternal health of the Gaza Strip cite public health data from the United Nations and the World Health Organization. His employer, the United States Agency for International Development, selected him to present the data at the agency's Global Gender Equality Conference. But a controversial issue emerged just before the meeting. One slide mentioned international humanitarian law against the backdrop of the health crisis in Gaza. USAID officials cited the slide and discussion of international law as potential fodder for the leaks, documents, and emails…
Get your free copy of Editor's DigestFT editor Roula Khalaf picks her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.France's credit rating was downgraded by S&P Global, dealing a blow to Emmanuel Macron's credibility as a steward of the economy, once a bright spot during his presidency.The rating agency changed France's long-term issuer rating to AA- from AA with a stable outlook, citing concerns that government debt as a percentage of gross domestic product will rise through 2027 and not fall as much as previously expected. S&P also blamed weaker-than-expected growth in France for the drop, and expressed concern that “political divisions”…