Not Your Casual News Week 35: Deadliest separatist attack in years leaves 73 dead in Pakistan's Balochistan region
A weekly read to keep you in the loop on international news and climate issues
At least 73 people have been killed in Balochistan, Pakistan, in a series of militant attacks by separatist groups on police stations, highways and railway lines.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility, saying the attacks were part of a coordinated operation called “Haruf”, and warned of “more intense and widespread” attacks to come.
The militants, who are fighting for the secession of the resource-rich province of Balochistan, have also targeted civilians, pulling passengers off buses and executing them.
On 26 August, provincial chief minister Sarfraz Bugti said operations against the insurgents were continuing and that “those who killed our innocent civilians and security personnel will be dealt with in full force.”
The violence comes on the anniversary of the death of Baloch nationalist leader Akbar Bugti, who was killed by the Pakistani army on 26 August 2006.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) insurgency in Balochistan seeks independence and opposes major Chinese investments in the region, including a deep-water port and a gold and copper mine.
Tonnes of dead fish found in Greek port due to climate change
More than 100 tonnes of dead fish have been collected in and around the port of Volos, Greece, following a climate-related mass die-off linked to extreme weather fluctuations.
The fish, which originated from Lake Karla, were washed into the bay and rivers after flooding in 2023, followed by severe drought.
The storms flooded over 20,000 hectares of land and filled Lake Karla, swelling it to three times its normal size. Then, a drought drastically reduced the lake’s water level, pushing the fish towards the port of Volos, which leads to the Aegean Sea.
Unable to survive in the salty waters, thousands of dead fish have now clogged the area around the port city, located north of Athens.
The die-off has devastated the local economy, reducing commercial activity by 80% and leading to temporary closures along the seafront.
Authorities have deployed fishing trawlers and earthmovers to remove the fish, but the slow response has sparked criticism and legal action from the Volos Chamber of Commerce.
What Else Happened?
Senegal has suspended all mining activities along the southeastern Faleme River for nearly three years to protect the environment and support local communities affected by artisanal gold mining. The suspension, effective until 30 June 2027, covers all Senegalese territory within 500 metres of the left bank of the river. Mining-related dredging and chemical discharges have severely polluted the Faleme, which is vital for local agriculture and was once rich in wildlife. The number of illegal mining sites along the river has proliferated, further endangering the ecosystem. Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko called it a “first step” and warned that an uncontrolled pollution of the river “will be much more damaging to the people of Dakar.”
USDoD, a notorious hacker linked to major data breaches, has revealed his identity as Luan G, a 33-year-old Brazilian from Minas Gerais. Known for leaking over 3.2 billion social security numbers and breaching the FBI’s InfraGard, Luan’s revelation has significant implications. The US could request his extradition under the Brazil-US extradition treaty, but Brazil rarely extradites its citizens. “Don’t worry Brazilian authorities, I’m coming to meet you, I’m not a threat, in fact, I can do much for my country,” wrote Luan G. CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity firm that “doxed” him, has shared its findings with Brazilian authorities.
Gyeonggi Province is launching South Korea’s first pilot four-and-a-half-day workweek in a bid to improve work-life balance and address the country’s declining birth rate. Governor Kim Dong-yeon announced an initial budget of 250 million won ($187,000/€169,000) for the programme, part of a larger 10 billion won ($7.4 million/€6.8 million) annual investment. The pilot involves 50 private and public organisations experimenting with reduced working hours in three ways, including a four-day work week every other week. The government will cover the wage gap resulting from the reduced hours. The project aims to establish a baseline for the expansion of reduced workweeks across Korea.
Climate News
Global SOS for the Pacific island nations. New research unveiled at the Pacific Islands Forum reveals that sea levels in some parts of the Pacific have risen more than twice the global average over the past 30 years. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, citing these findings, issued a “global SOS” during the forum in Tonga, stressing that without drastic emission cuts, vulnerable Pacific island nations face catastrophic impacts, including severe coastal flooding and economic devastation. “Rising seas are a crisis entirely of humanity’s making. A crisis that will soon swell to an almost unimaginable scale, with no lifeboat to take us back to safety,” said António Guterres.
Typhoon Shanshan lashed southwestern Japan with powerful winds and torrential rain, prompting evacuation orders for millions of people. The storm, one of the strongest ever to hit the region, caused widespread power cuts, disrupted air travel and forced the closure of major factories including Toyota and Nissan. Before weakening to a tropical storm on Sunday, it killed at least three people, injured 80 and forced the evacuation of more than 5.2 million people, mainly in Kyushu.
First August cyclone in the Arabian Sea since 1976, Cyclone Asna has formed over the Kutch region of Gujarat in western India, causing heavy rainfall and severe flooding in India and Pakistan. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the rare land-based cyclone was expected to move towards the Arabian Sea within 48 hours. The cyclone has caused significant rainfall in Gujarat, particularly in Kutch and Saurashtra, resulting in 26 deaths and the evacuation of more than 18,000 people.
That's it for today, unfortunately I couldn't find a picture to add. Have a nice week.