Japan begins 23rd release of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated wastewater into ocean
Japan on Monday kicked off a new round of discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the sea, marking the 23rd such release since the controversial operation began in 2023.
The discharge started at 11:29 a.m. local time. According to the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), about 7,800 tonnes of wastewater containing approximately 1.2 trillion becquerels of radioactive tritium will be released into the ocean.
The latest discharge, also the fifth round in fiscal 2026, is scheduled to continue through Sept. 18.
939 dead, 3,925 missing in mudslide disaster in Nepal: authorities
Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said that as of 6:00 p.m. local time on Monday, 939 bodies had been recovered from mudslide-hit areas, with 3,925 people still missing.
DR Congo records over 6,000 confirmed Ebola cases
Confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have surpassed 6,000, with nearly 3,000 deaths, according to the latest figures released Monday.
Local authorities reported that as of Saturday, the DRC had recorded 6,041 confirmed cases across six provinces, including 2,911 deaths, bringing the overall case fatality rate to 48.2 percent. A total of 1,366 patients have recovered.
The outbreak has now affected 60 health zones in the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, Bas-Uele and Tshopo.
Trump vows retaliation after Iran fires missiles at U.S. base in Jordan
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday vowed retaliation against Iran after Tehran fired ballistic missiles at U.S. forces in Jordan overnight.
"We're going to hit them hard," Trump told Fox News in a phone interview. "There will be a response."
The president said U.S. forces allowed one Iranian missile to pass through air defenses overnight after determining it would not hit anything, while the other incoming missiles were intercepted.
Italy extends border controls on arrivals from Spain for another 15 days
The Italian government announced on Monday that it would extend border controls on arrivals from Spain for a further 15 days.
The measure, which took effect on Aug. 1 following a migration crisis in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa, was extended because the circumstances that prompted Italy to reintroduce border controls remain, according to the Italian Interior Ministry.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi told reporters on Monday that the decision was based on an assessment by the Committee for Migration Analysis and Border Security, as the Spanish government and the European Union (EU) were working to address the situation.■
