Venezuela Says Oil Spill from Trinidad and Tobago Could Hurt Fishing, Environment

An Indian fisherman washes his hands in the waters of Ennore Creek covered with an oil spill after Cyclone Michaung, in Chennai, India, 11 December 2023. (EPA)
An Indian fisherman washes his hands in the waters of Ennore Creek covered with an oil spill after Cyclone Michaung, in Chennai, India, 11 December 2023. (EPA)
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Venezuela Says Oil Spill from Trinidad and Tobago Could Hurt Fishing, Environment

An Indian fisherman washes his hands in the waters of Ennore Creek covered with an oil spill after Cyclone Michaung, in Chennai, India, 11 December 2023. (EPA)
An Indian fisherman washes his hands in the waters of Ennore Creek covered with an oil spill after Cyclone Michaung, in Chennai, India, 11 December 2023. (EPA)

Venezuela's government said on Friday that an oil spill originating from Trinidad and Tobago is putting at risk fishing in the region, ‌as well ‌as the environment.

"This event ‌exceeds in ⁠magnitude the one ⁠that occurred in May and confirms the drift of pollutants toward Venezuelan waters," the government said in a statement, without providing further details ⁠on the extent of ‌the spill, ‌which it said was confirmed by ‌satellite imagery.

Trinidad and Tobago's government ‌did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

In the statement, Venezuela's foreign ministry asked Trinidad ‌and Tobago to take measures to “prevent further incidents”, adding ⁠that ⁠it "reserves the right to take appropriate action before the competent international bodies to determine liability."

In May, Foreign Minister Yvan Gil asked Trinidad and Tobago for compensation for another oil spill that had affected areas in the far east of the country.



Diana's 'Revenge Dress' to Go Up for Auction in New York

Princess Diana wearing the 'Revenge Dress' (AFP file photo)
Princess Diana wearing the 'Revenge Dress' (AFP file photo)
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Diana's 'Revenge Dress' to Go Up for Auction in New York

Princess Diana wearing the 'Revenge Dress' (AFP file photo)
Princess Diana wearing the 'Revenge Dress' (AFP file photo)

Princess Diana's famous "revenge dress" that she wore on the evening that then-Prince Charles made a public admission of adultery is to be auctioned in New York in December.

Diana wore the daring off-the-shoulder gown to a gala dinner in London in 1994 on the day that her husband, now the king, admitted during a TV interview to being unfaithful.

"Princess Diana turned the dress into one of the most powerful messages she ever made, during one of the most scrutinized and emotionally charged episodes of her life," said Morgane Halimi of Sotheby's, which announced the upcoming sale on Thursday.

It "gave license to anyone, but especially women, to use fashion beyond adornment and much more intentionally and meaningfully: as a shield, a weapon or both," AFP quoted her as saying.

The dress, designed by Christina Stambolian, is estimated to fetch between $150,000 and $300,000, with some proceeds going to charity.

It was previously auctioned for cancer and AIDS charities in 1997, shortly before Diana died in a car accident in Paris at the age of 36.


Indonesia to Bring Back Baby Orangutans Allegedly Trafficked to India

This handout picture taken on September 4, 2026 and released on September 10, 2026 by Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry and Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia (YIARI) shows a rescue operation for orangutans caught up in wildfires in Pemangkat village in West Kalimantan province. (Photo by Muffidz Ma'sum / Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia (YIARI) / AFP)
This handout picture taken on September 4, 2026 and released on September 10, 2026 by Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry and Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia (YIARI) shows a rescue operation for orangutans caught up in wildfires in Pemangkat village in West Kalimantan province. (Photo by Muffidz Ma'sum / Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia (YIARI) / AFP)
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Indonesia to Bring Back Baby Orangutans Allegedly Trafficked to India

This handout picture taken on September 4, 2026 and released on September 10, 2026 by Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry and Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia (YIARI) shows a rescue operation for orangutans caught up in wildfires in Pemangkat village in West Kalimantan province. (Photo by Muffidz Ma'sum / Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia (YIARI) / AFP)
This handout picture taken on September 4, 2026 and released on September 10, 2026 by Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry and Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia (YIARI) shows a rescue operation for orangutans caught up in wildfires in Pemangkat village in West Kalimantan province. (Photo by Muffidz Ma'sum / Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia (YIARI) / AFP)

Indonesian authorities are working to repatriate five baby orangutans allegedly trafficked to India, where they were found motherless in a forest, Jakarta's forestry ministry told AFP Friday.

The critically endangered animals were found Tuesday by rangers patrolling in the Balasore district of India's eastern Odisha state.

Authorities suspect the primates, known for their shaggy red fur, were trafficked into India, sparking a criminal investigation.

The youngsters, estimated to be about one-and-a-half years old, appeared to be healthy and were being cared for at a zoo after their rescue, the ministry said in a statement.

Orangutans in the wild are native only to Indonesia's Sumatra island and Borneo, which it shares with Malaysia and Brunei.

The five infants were believed to be of Sumatran origins, based on preliminary physical observations, the ministry said.

DNA tests will be used to confirm where they were from.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which lists Sumatran orangutans as critically endangered, the young of the species are weaned only at about seven years of age.

The last estimate of the species' population size, in 2016, was just over 13,500.

The Indonesian government has requested India hand over the apes, forestry ministry spokesman Ristianto Pribadi told AFP on Friday.

"The forestry ministry has begun communicating with the government of India through the Indian embassy in Jakarta," he said.

Jakarta has also been in touch with conservation NGOs to help rehabilitate the baby orangutans, the ministry statement added.

Sumatran orangutan population decline is blamed on habitat loss and fragmentation due to human encroachment, as well as illegal hunting.

The Tapanuli orangutan, another species native to Sumatra, is also classified as critically endangered, with fewer than 800 believed left in the wild.


Giant Sun Installation to Light Up Market Hall in UK

The Helios installation will be displayed at Goole Market Hall from September 25 (National Trust)
The Helios installation will be displayed at Goole Market Hall from September 25 (National Trust)
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Giant Sun Installation to Light Up Market Hall in UK

The Helios installation will be displayed at Goole Market Hall from September 25 (National Trust)
The Helios installation will be displayed at Goole Market Hall from September 25 (National Trust)

A large art installation representing the sun will light up an East Yorkshire market hall in Britain.

Helios, which was created by artist Luke Jerram, will be displayed at Goole Market Hall from September 25 to October 5, according to BBC.

The touring artwork, named after the ancient Greek mythological god who personified the sun, was made using more than 400,000 high-resolution photographs of the sun's surface and observational data from Nasa.

Councilor Nick Coultish, East Riding of Yorkshire Council's cabinet member for culture, leisure and tourism, said: “We're absolutely delighted to be bringing Helios to Goole Market Hall as part of the Goole 200 program of events planned to mark our town's bicentenary year.”

“I can't think of a more fitting setting than the newly refurbished Market Hall, where this internationally renowned artwork will become a magnificent focal point,” he added.

Coultish also noted that Helios has attracted huge crowds on its tour of the UK, so is sure to bring a stream of visitors into the town center during its visit to Goole. “The installation measures 19ft (6m) in diameter and is internally lit,” he said.

The visit has been secured with the help of funding from Arts Council England.

The Goole 2026 Bicentenary Group, made up of East Riding of Yorkshire Council and community partners, has planned a program of Around the Sun events during the time Helios is on display.

It includes an inflatable dome at Junction Goole, which will allow people to explore the solar system, and a concert bringing together classical music and electronic sounds using recordings from NASA.