A nearly extinct species of leatherback sea turtle was caught in a fishing net in Myebon Township, Rakhine State, and released by residents, according to local sources. The turtle, Dermochelys coriacea, is nearly extinct in the world, and was caught on 16 July on a beach near Shintaung village.
“It was caught in our fishing net. The turtle was very, very big and still alive. The locals have never caught one of this size before. As it also seemed to be a rare species, it has been released,” said a news source from Rakhine State.
Of the seven species of sea turtles in the world, five kinds: hawksbill turtle, green turtle, olive ridley, loggerhead and leatherback turtle can be found in Myanmar, which are considered endangered species. The species is also being killed by accidental catches, and the most common fishing methods involved in these incidents are trawls, long-line nets, gillnets, and trammel/Seine nets and among others.
The leatherback turtle, whose scientific name is Dermochelys coriacea, is the world’s largest sea turtle. It has five longitudinal ridges on its body, a thick, flexible back, and a special circulatory system. Its body structure, with a high fat content in its skin, allows it to survive in extremely cold water, and it is an omnivorous animal, with its most common food being jellyfish and squid. — Htet Oo Maung/ZN/Ed

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Parts of South Korea were battered by torrential rains Thursday, with one region pummelled by the most rainfall per hour, the country's weather agency said. Residents in South Chungcheong province, were ordered to evacuate immediately to a safe location early Thursday morning due to flooding from a nearby stream.

As of Thursday evening, three reported death due to the flood. According to official weather data, South Korea typically experiences monsoon rains in July but three areas in the country's South Chungcheong province experienced some of the heaviest hourly downpours on record this week.

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A fire tore through a newly opened five-storey Hypermarket Mall in the eastern Iraqi city of Kut overnight, killing at least 61 people, authorities said Thursday.

The fire broke out late Wednesday, reportedly starting on the first floor of the mall before rapidly engulfing. The Interior Ministry said "the tragic fire claimed the lives of 61 innocent citizens, most of whom suffocated in bathrooms, and among them 14 charred bodies yet to be identified."

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A rare oil painting of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi has sold at auction in the UK for £152,800.

Rhyanon Demery, Bonhams, Head of Sale, Travel and Exploration said "This is a portrait of Gandhi by Claire Leighton, and it's a very rare thing, because it is the only one that we know that he ever sat for, and it's fresh to the market. So really, it's very special in terms of, in terms of the auction world, and really for the wider world to see such a portrait of such a well-known man."

The 1931 painting by British-American artist Clare Leighton is believed to be the only oil portrait Gandhi sat for, according to the painter's family who have had the painting since it was created, and Bonhams, where it was auctioned online.

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Sri Lankan authorities returned six orphaned and injured elephants to the wild on Thursday after nursing them back to health under a long-running conservation project, officials said. Two females and four males, aged between five and seven, were released into the Mau Ara forest within the Udawalawe Wildlife Sanctuary, Environment minister Dammika Patabendi said.

He said it was the 26th such release of rehabilitated elephants since the Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home began its programme in 1998. The calves were transported in trucks and then allowed to walk free because they were deemed strong enough to fend for themselves or join wild herds.

Baby elephants have minimal contact with humans at the transit home to ease their integration into wild herds. All elephants at the facility were rescued after being found abandoned, injured or separated from their herds.

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US Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum visited Alcatraz Island in California's San Francisco Bay, after US President Trump ordered the prison's reopening. As a National Park Service site, Alcatraz is overseen by the Department of the Interior.

The former prison was home to some of America's most infamous criminals. In May, President Trump called for a review to explore reopening the prison to house criminal illegal immigrants and other dangerous criminals as he continues to restore justice and Make America Safe Again. During the visit, Burgum and Bondi toured the mid-19th century building, visiting the dock, power station, and industry building.

The former federal jail closed six decades ago and is currently a national park open to tourists.

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US President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with a common, benign vein condition, the White House said Thursday, following speculation about his heavily bruised hand and swollen legs.  Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said “the widely noted discoloration on Trump's right hand, meanwhile, was "tissue irritation from frequent handshaking" and the use of aspirin as part of a standard cardiovascular treatment”.

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A giant cloud of acrid smoke caused by a forest fire enveloped Madrid on Thursday in a summer expected to spark increasingly fierce blazes in Spain. The uncontrolled fire in the municipality of Mentrida, around 50 kilometres southwest of the capital, prompted local authorities to urge nearby residents to stay at home and shut their windows.

Madrid's civil protection service advised people to avoid staying outdoors and to use surgical face masks to avoid inhaling the ash, while part of a main motorway leading to the city was closed. More than 150 firefighters were deployed on the ground and in the air to extinguish the fire that began at around 3:00 pm local time, according to the forest fire information service of the central Castilla-La Mancha region.

Scientists say human-induced climate change is increasing the intensity, length and frequency of the extreme heat that fuels forest fires.

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Bago Region Chief Minister U Myo Swe Win attended the opening ceremony of the Nyaung Khar Shay Permanent Checkpoint in Waw Township along the Myawaddy–Yangon trade route.

The checkpoint aims to prevent illegal trade and was established at a key location to improve border control. In his speech, the Chief Minister emphasized the importance of combating illegal trade to protect the national economy and tax revenue.

He urged departments to cooperate and treat the mission as a national duty. Customs officials also explained the checkpoint’s role and operations. After the ribbon-cutting, the Chief Minister and officials inspected the inspection process at the checkpoint.

Later, the Chief Minister visited a skills training center in Bago where a national electrician training program is underway. The center aims to produce skilled workers to meet labor demands and increase employment opportunities, especially for rural communities. He also visited a flooded paddy field area in western Bago where drainage works are in progress. He gave instructions to ensure timely completion to reduce flood damage.

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V-Concert is a large-scale music event organized by Viet Nam National Television, honoring Vietnamese music and culture, taking place on August 9 at the Viet Nam Exhibition Centre the largest venue in Southeast Asia. The concert is expected to welcome an audience of over 20,000 and will feature top Vietnamese artists.

The event is part of VTV’s celebration of the 80th anniversary of National Day which was fall on September 2nd, and the 55th anniversary of Viet Nam Television’s first broadcast. The event will also spotlight the “Library of Joy” project, which aims to build 100 libraries for underprivileged students.

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