World’s first container ship powered by methanol has docked at the UK’s busiest container port.

The Laura Maersk arrived at the Port of Felixstowe, Suffolk earlier.

Launched this year, the Danish vessel has been described as an “historic milestone” for global shipping, external due to its greener credentials.

Its engine can be powered by methanol, a non-persistent chemical that is broken down in the environment, external.

The clear, flammable liquid has been used in some racing cars.

In Greece, people are counting the cost of the devastating floods that hit the centre of the country after Storm Daniel in early September.

Fruit trees, corn and around a fifth of Greece’s cotton crop have been destroyed and over 200,000 animals and poultry killed.

Estimates by academics suggest the short-term effects alone could cost the Greek economy up to 5 billion euros ($5.3bn; £4.3bn).

One of the worst hit areas is the Thessaly plain, in central Greece.

Thessaly is one of the country’s main agricultural regions, and there are fears about the impact on food production.

Sitting on a plastic chair outside her home, Anthoula Pappa stared blankly at the piles of her rotting and broken possessions: water-soaked mattresses and blankets, clothes, a television set, all covered in thick brown mud.

Her house, like many others in the farming village of Vlochos, was almost totally submerged in the floods.

“Nothing was saved, the water was up to the roof,” the 54-year-old said.

“We ran to save ourselves and watched the water rising step by step until it reached the balcony railings and I said, ‘That’s it, the house is destroyed.'”

Her daughter, Maria, said that the conditions are terrible. She told the BBC that they had received some food and water from volunteers, but no help from the authorities. “Nothing from the government. Nothing from the mayor. Nothing. Nothing at all.”

She pointed up to the roof of the house next door. The rotting carcass of a sheep was wedged against the chimney, washed up there by the floods.

“You see that sheep over there?” she said. “It’s still there. Twenty days now. We will get sick.”

“This is the fault of our government.”

Map showing large flooded regions of central Greece
Image caption,
Areas of Thessaly flooded as of 7th September 2023
Greece’s Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, had promised speedy help for the victims of the flooding.

Speaking immediately after the disaster, he said Greece had “the financial capabilities and the mechanism for quick aid,” so that people would be able to “restart their lives, repair their homes… and operate their businesses again.”

But many people here say it’s simply not enough.

In the nearby village of Lefki, Thanassis Thodos showed us what was left of his walnut orchard. He used to have a thousand trees. Half of them are now destroyed.

“The damage is enormous because the trees have been infected by bacteria… You can see this tree, it is green, but the leaves are starting to turn yellow, which means it may be diseased.”

The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA, will be honoured with the best Federal MDA in the use of Environmental Sustainable Technology Implementation in the country.

Mrs Amaka Ejiofor, Assistant Director, Press, NESREA, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.

Ejiofor said that the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, BPSR, Dr Dasuki Arabi, announced the prestigious Nigeria GovTech Award, in a letter ref. BPSR/ICT.20/1/139 to NESREA.

“The Director- General of BPSR, Dr Dasuki Arabi, also revealed the nomination of the Director General of NESREA, Prof. Aliyu Jauro, for the Distinguished GovTech Trailblazer’s Award for exemplary leadership,” she said.

Ejiofor said Arabi, in the letter, disclosed that the major criteria for the distinguished GovTech Trailblazer’s award was the advancement of GovTech initiatives and digital governance.

Arabi said it was in line with the Federal Government’s digital transformation in the public sector.

He said the awards that would be presented in October followed a “nationwide nomination and online voting process” initiated on radio, television and publications, and Punch Newspaper of Sept. 4.

The federal government has called for more innovative solutions that will reposition the water resources and sanitation sector in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev made this call at the opening of a three-day Top Management Retreat in Abuja.

The theme of the retreat is, “Strategic Planning for Achieving Ministerial Mandate.’’

Utsev, represented by his Minister of State, Alhaji Bello Goronyo, said the retreat was an opportunity to share experiences, best practices, and innovative solutions to strengthen water governance in Nigeria

According to him, Nigeria can build a future where every citizen has access to clean water and sanitation services, and the environment thrives for generations to come.

He said Nigeria was faced with numerous challenges, from population growth to climate change, and it was the ministry’s duty to rise above these challenges and find innovative solutions.

“I believe that through knowledge collaboration, we can develop strategies and action plans that will lead to tangible improvements in the sector across the country.

“I am confident that this retreat will not only equip us to meet the challenges of our expanded mandate, but will also strengthen our resolve to create positive change in the water resources and sanitation sector.

“Therefore, let us work together to ensure that Nigerians have access to clean water, proper sanitation facilities, and sustainable irrigation practices for a healthier and more prosperous future,’’ he said.

Utsev gave an insight into activities to promote improved access to clean water and sanitation, dam and irrigation, climate change, and flood management.

He said the issues were being addressed in alignment with the eight presidential target areas, adding that the retreat was an important step towards achieving them.

The minister urged the participants to develop strategies and plans that would reposition the ministry’s policies, saying it should be in line with the expanded mandate and shared vision for a better future.

He also urged them to push aside sentiments and ensure that the ministry’s Standard Operating Procedures, vision, mission, mandates, and functions aligned properly with the present administration’s focus areas.

Dr Dahiru Hashim, the Kano State coordinator of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes, ACReSAL, Dr Dahiru Hashim, says the project is to recover and restore lost landscapes arising from natural causes and human activities.

Hashim made this known while addressing newsmen in Kano.

”We are committed to addressing the environmental challenges that affect the state such as drylands, erosion and flooding, land degradation and issues that affect the livelihood of communities which is mainly agriculture.

”The ACReSAL project is anchored on four broad components that speak essentially to the demand of the poor whose livelihoods have been distressed,” he said.

Hashim also said that the ACReSAL project has drilled solar powered boreholes and established tree nurseries in some local government areas of the state.

The intervention would boost agriculture and improve the standard of living of the people while the tree nurseries would help to combat desertification and soil erosion.

He expressed the commitment of the state in improving and protecting the Kano environment with priority and attention to the sector on issues of biodiversity conservation and restoration of degraded lands.

“ACReSAL plans to undertake erosion control work in Rarin, Dawakin Tofa and Bulbula/Gayawa, Nassarawa and Ungogo Local government areas.

“Construction of water conservation structure and provision of minor irrigation facilities in ‘Yartiti, Shanono and construction of water conservation structure and provision of minor irrigation facilities in Fajewa, Takai Local government area.

“Establishment of 100ha individual farmer orchards and Woodlot plantations, 200ha of woodlot in communal forests and institutional plantings.
“440ha farmer managed natural regeneration of indigenous tree species on individual farm lands and communal forests and promotion of climate smart agriculture through FLID and CRF among others,” he said

The ACreSAL project is embarked on by the Federal Government to build community resilience as well as improve the sustainable productivity of its natural resources in Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Plateau, Adamawa, Taraba, Niger, Kwara and Kaduna.

Great Bird Island is a very small islet which is located to the northeastern part, around 3 km (1 mi) from the island of Antigua that forms the island sovereign state in the Caribbean, Antigua and Barbuda.

This interesting islet, even though privately owned, it is open to the general public, and it allows visitors to come and see the flora and fauna, as well as swim on one of the two main beaches.

Covering an area of about 81,000 sq m (871,877 sq ft), Great Bird Island is smaller when compared to other parks that are found in the island nation, nonetheless, it has a significant importance for the wildlife.

Among the most important species that can be found here roaming free and nowhere in the world is the harmless rear-fanged snake, the Antiguan racer.

There is a great number of tourists that come here every year, and that number is slowly increasing, this miniature heaven was named by the sailors who were mesmerized by the enormous number of birds that they found living and nesting here.

Among those bird species that are nesting and living here are: brown pelicans, West Indian whistling ducks and red-billed tropic birds. In addition, there is also a near-threatened lizard, Pholidoscelis griswoldi, that is endemic to the both islands of the Caribbean nation.

All of the wildlife was endangered due to the presence of the omnivore black rat who caused some damage, but it was not as significant as it sounds, and was present here until recently.

Certainly, another famous feature are the sugar sand beaches, especially popular the North and South Beaches, which are offering tranquil, secluded environment that should not be missed whenever in the area.

All in all, even though Great Bird Island does not enjoy great commercial attention, it is perhaps hidden from the mass media in order to be protected from a devastation that could happen any given moment, so it is definitely a true paradise on Earth that should be considered as a really interesting one, if not compelling public secret.

• Good stabilized and tested subgrade, sub-base and base-course before pavement placement.
• Expose subgrade, sub-base and base-course to 60 days vehicular movement and continuous sheep-foot rolling before pavement placement.
• Introduction of reinforced concrete road pavement in most roads carriageway and shoulders.
• Continuous maintenance of all roads under construction throughout the life of the project under contract.
• Effective design of road infrastructure anchored on detailed report of environmental site conditions and geotechnical report.
• Community relations in Terms of keeping roads Motorable under the period of the contract.

– David Umahi