Albert Fausel has been scouring the rivers of Placerville, California for decades in search of gold. But the task has never been easier, nor the haul bigger, thanks to recent torrential rains.

“This year, there’s a lot of new spots” to find gold, says Fausel, clad in a wetsuit and snorkel, standing up to his knees in water.

Among the mix of clay and sand emptied onto a plastic tray, unmistakable shiny particles glitter brightly under the strong midday sun.

While his search near the shoreline has yielded “a small amount of gold,” he predicts that closer to the middle of the river, “there’s probably going to be a lot larger, bigger, heavier pieces.”

Fausel collects his bounty with a tool that resembles a suction pump, before adjusting his snorkel and disappearing back into the water.

A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Tonga, prompting authorities to assess the tsunami threat, but no warning was issued, providing relief to coastal areas.

The seismic event occurred offshore, with its epicentre located approximately 73 kilometres northwest of Hihifo, Tonga.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake had a considerable depth of 212 kilometres (132 miles).

Despite the significant magnitude, the US Tsunami Warning System promptly declared that no tsunami warning was necessary following the occurrence.

This seismic activity caused concern among authorities who were vigilant about potential tsunamis due to the earthquake’s proximity to the ocean.

Given its offshore nature, experts immediately initiated an assessment of the situation to determine if any tidal waves might pose a threat to coastal areas.

Fortunately, based on available information and the absence of any imminent danger, the US Tsunami Warning System concluded that no tsunami alert was warranted.

The seismic event serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of earthquakes and the importance of monitoring systems that can promptly detect and analyze such occurrences.

The gathered data from this event will contribute to the broader understanding of seismic activity in the region, assisting researchers and scientists in their ongoing efforts to improve earthquake forecasting and preparedness measures.

In the first three months of this year a third of the country’s electricity came from wind farms, research from Imperial College London have shown.

National Grid has also confirmed that April saw a record period of solar energy generation.

By 2035 the UK aims for all of its electricity to have net zero emissions.

The majority of the UK’s wind power has come from offshore wind farms. Installing new onshore wind turbines has effectively been banned since 2015 in England.

Under current planning rules, companies can only apply to build onshore wind turbines on land specifically identified for development in the land-use plans drawn up by local councils.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak agreed in December to relax these planning restrictions to speed up development.

Solar and wind have seen significant growth in the UK. In the first quarter of 2023, 42% of the UK’s electricity came from renewable energy, with 33% coming from fossil fuels like gas and coal.

Some new solar and wind sites are waiting up to 10 to 15 years to be connected because of a lack of capacity in the electricity system.

And electricity only accounts for 18% of the UK’s total power needs. There are many demands for energy which electricity is not meeting, such as heating our homes, manufacturing and transport.

Currently the majority of UK homes use gas for their heating – the government is seeking to move households away from gas boilers and on to heat pumps which use electricity.

Saudi Arabia’s industry and mining sectors are set to benefit from bilateral ties with Oman as their ministers met in Muscat to discuss industrial cooperation and investment opportunities.

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef met with Omani Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion Qais bin Mohammed Al-Yousef to improve collaboration in the industry and mining sectors.

The meeting explored investment opportunities available within the framework of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and the Oman Vision 2040, forging a path of economic prosperity between the two nations.

Alkhorayef also met with Ali ibn Masoud Al-Sunaidi, the president of Oman’s General Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zone, to enhance cooperation in developing industrial and economic cities.

The minister’s visit also included his participation in the 50th meeting of the Industrial Cooperation Committee of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

In 2022, the Saudi Industrial Development Fund financed two joint projects with Oman, with a capital amounting to SR90.7 billion ($24 billion).

The Saudi minister has been touring the world, building partnerships in the mining sector.

Earlier this month, Alkhorayef concluded an official visit to Switzerland to enhance cooperation in the industrial and mining sectors and increase trade exchange and non-oil exports.

He held talks with Swiss State Secretary for Economic Affairs Helene Budliger Artieda and the executive president of Swiss Export Credit Agency, Barbra Huiz.  

They discussed ways to collaborate with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 in diversifying the economy and taking advantage of the investment prospects offered by the National Industrial Strategy.

This move comes as the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources aims to shield the mining sector and maximize its value in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and the National Industry Development and Logistics Program.

The ministry is working to transform the mining sector into the third pillar of the national industry while utilizing the Kingdom’s mineral resources dispersed across 5,300 sites and holding an estimated value of SR5 trillion.

Qatar is set to drive the growth of the cleantech industry in the Middle East and Africa as its favorable government policies and advanced tech infrastructure present a $75 billion investment opportunity by 2030, revealed an industry report. 

Qatar’s Investment Promotion Agency in a report stated that the country’s sustainability initiatives, abundant natural resources and an early-mover advantage in green hydrogen production make the gas-rich nation an emerging leader in the cleantech industry.

The report also noted QatarEnergy’s announcement to establish the world’s largest blue ammonia plant — which is scheduled to open by 2026 — to produce 1.2 million tons annually.

The $1 billion plant is projected to support Qatar’s efforts to develop carbon capture and storage facilities to isolate as much as 11 million tons of carbon dioxide annually by 2035.

QatarEnergy has also launched an energy initiative – known as the Sustainability Strategy – as it aims to reduce the carbon intensity of its liquified natural gas facilities by 35 percent by 2030.

The report pointed out that the support of government policies in Qatar and the MENA region has a vital role to play in the growth of the clean technology sector.

The Caves and Cliffs of Isandra are part of the Betsileo cultural region, located on the African island nation of Madagascar.

After the Tsingy of Bemaraha, the Rova of Ambohimanga and Ala Atsinanana, this site could become the fourth site of Madagascar to be designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site, although presently it is only on the tentative UNESCO list.

The site consists of a large granite cliff face, which has been eroded over millions of years, where through landslides granite blocks pile up at the base of the cliffs and create open spaces or “caves”.

Yet, rising abruptly from the surrounding rice fields, Isandra has given many defensive possibilities, which were taken as advantage from the inhabitants that occupied them, and in the same time fortified them with walls of stone and mortar.

This happened during the 17th and 18th century, while giving an impressive overlook of the area from the vertical cliff, the former inhabitants even went further and used some of the caves as “burial” grounds.

The so-called caves, are aligned between themselves, in a labyrinth-like cavities, which are well preserved today, with hope the Government of Madagascar would make them more accessible for the public, and Isandra will become well known site, not just in Africa, but in the world too.