News Briefs

Mass fish die-off in German-Polish river blamed on unknown toxic substance

BERLIN (Reuters) -An unidentified highly toxic substance in the Oder river, which runs through Poland and Germany, appears to be the cause of a mass die-off of fish, the German state of Brandenburg's environment ministry said.

English regions brace for drought as water restrictions tighten

LONDON (Reuters) -British households faced new water usage restrictions on Friday, with parts of England likely to formally declare a drought as the government, environment officials and water companies meet to discuss the impact of prolonged hot and dry weather.

Iran says EU proposal to revive nuclear talks could be 'acceptable'

A European Union proposal to revive talks to salvage the 2015 Iran nuclear deal “can be acceptable if it provides assurances" on Tehran's key demands, the state news agency IRNA said on Friday, quoting a senior Iranian diplomat.

Boat capsizes crossing river in northern India, three killed, 17 missing

An overloaded boat carrying dozens of passengers capsized in northern India, killing three people, including one child, while another 17 were missing and feared dead, a senior police official in Uttar Pradesh state said on Friday.

Exclusive-Europe eyes SpaceX to fill launch void left by Russian tensions

The European Space Agency (ESA) has begun preliminary technical discussions with Elon Musk's SpaceX that could lead to the temporary use of its launchers after the Ukraine conflict blocked Western access to Russia's Soyuz rockets.

Italy's right pledges tax cuts, immigration curbs, welfare reform

Italy's conservative bloc will cut taxes, crack down on immigration and scrap the current system of welfare benefits if it wins next month's election as expected, the group said in a joint manifesto.