Italy began its journey towards re-adopting nuclear power generation on Thursday after the nation's Chamber of Deputies overwhelmingly voted in favor of a new "sustainable nuclear energy bill."
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President Donald Trump said Thursday that without energy dominance, the United States "can't win" after he announced $700 million in funding to bolster America's coal industry.
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Idit Silman blasts NGO for releasing figures obtained through Freedom of Information request showing 83 percent drop in indictments against environmental violators on her watch
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A second suspected oil slick has been detected near Iran’s Kharg Island export hub, according to maritime intelligence firm Windward AI, heightening fears of an environmental disaster as a larger spill identified May 8 continues drifting toward Saudi Arabian waters.
The suspected new slick comes as U.N. officials warned Sunday that oil spills in the region could trigger an environmental catastrophe amid the ongoing Strait of Hormuz crisis.
"Another possible oil spill was detected today at 11 a.m. local time," Windward told Fox News Digital. The approximate visible area, according to the firm, was between 12 to 20 square kilometers.
Tehran has pointed to foreign vessels, but maritime experts say the main slick — estimated at tens of thousands of barrels and covering about 65 square kilometers, according to the U.N. University Institute for Water, Environment and Health — is more likely linked to aging infrastructure, pipeline ruptures or a "war mode" environment that has threatened the waterway since February.
IRAN THREATENS MASS ‘WATER WAR’ WITH STRIKES ON KEY PLANTS IN DAYS, UN OFFICIAL WARNS
"We should worry about the cause of the slick and monitor things carefully to see if there are new developments," U.N. official Dr. Kaveh Madani told Fox News Digital.
"If this slick gets bigger, we should be seriously worried about there being a leakage of aging infrastructure," Madani said, adding the slick was "moving away toward the southwest of the island."
"We just have to see how it moves and if it gets closer to the centers of population. If it does, desalination operations also must be halted. The risk is low right now," he said.
Madani also noted the slick is near a zone with a heavy concentration of pipelines and energy infrastructure.
"Keeping these infrastructure systems healthy and operational has been very hard for the Iranians even in peacetime due to sanctions," he said, warning that amid conflict, a "major accident is very likely."
Water circulation in the Persian Gulf is slow, meaning pollution can persist for extended periods, he added.
"We saw similar instances during the Gulf wars and the Iran-Iraq War, with these things impacting coastal communities, the fishing industry, marine life and even the intake of desalination plants," he said.
BEFORE-AND-AFTER SATELLITE IMAGERY OFFERS A RARE LOOK AT DAMAGE INSIDE IRAN
The larger spill, visible in satellite images as a gray-and-white slick, was first detected west of Kharg Island, Windward AI reported May 8, and has been steadily moving.
"It is believed to be crude rather than bunker fuel and unlikely to have come from a ship, possibly originating from pipeline issues or a failed ship-to-ship transfer," the firm said.
The spill could pass through Qatar’s exclusive economic zone within about four days, with possible landfall near Al Mirfa in the United Arab Emirates in roughly 13 days, according to Windward.
The incident comes as Washington ramps up "Economic Fury," tightening sanctions and increasing its naval presence near the Strait of Hormuz to curb Iran’s oil exports.
Since Iran closed the strait in late February following the outbreak of hostilities, tankers have bottlenecked across the region as the vital oil chokepoint remains largely shut.
"We also know that there are many tankers in the area, so there is a chance of an accidental spill," Madani said.
US EYES SEIZING IRAN’S OIL LIFELINE — BUT IT MAY NOT CRIPPLE TEHRAN
"As long as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is there and the region is in a war mode, the environment would not be a priority, but monitoring the behavior of tankers would not be trivial," he said.
Meanwhile, Jafar Pourkabgani, a lawmaker representing Bushehr province, claimed the slick was caused by "oil residue and ballast water waste from European tankers" discharged into the sea.
"This claim is false and part of the enemy’s psychological operation," he wrote on X, referring to allegations Iran released oil due to full storage tanks.
Iran’s Oil Terminals Company also denied reports of a leak near Kharg Island, according to Reuters.
The company’s chief executive said Sunday that inspections found no evidence of leaks from storage tanks, pipelines, loading facilities or nearby tankers.
An employee conducting routine maintenance at a Tokyo theme park reportedly died after becoming trapped for an extended period inside the mechanism of an attraction ride.
The incident occurred at Tokyo Dome City Attractions on the "Flying Balloon" ride on Tuesday, the company said.
"During routine maintenance work on the ride, one of our employees became trapped within the ride's gondola mechanism," the company said. "Following rescue operations, the employee was transported to a hospital, where their death was subsequently confirmed."
According to local media outlet NHK World Japan, the worker was identified by police as 24-year-old Kamimura Hina. It took roughly five hours for personnel to free her, but she was ultimately pronounced dead at a hospital.
"Flying Balloon" is reportedly a 12-seat ride where passengers sit in a circle around a central pillar. The seats rotate and rise along the structure to a height of roughly 30 feet.
During the operator’s monthly inspection, the seats were elevated, allowing Kamimura and five colleagues to access and inspect the ride’s mechanisms, according to the outlet.
The victim is believed to have been working on a stepladder when the raised seats suddenly fell, trapping her against the central pillar.
10 INJURED AFTER CARS ON GIANT PENDULUM RIDE BREAK APART MIDAIR, HORRIFYING VIDEO SHOWS
"We offer our deepest prayers for the repose of the deceased employee's soul, and we extend our profound condolences and apologies to their bereaved family," the companay said. "We also wish to offer our sincere apologies once again to all customers and stakeholders who have been inconvenienced and caused anxiety as a result of this accident.
The corporation said it is conducting a full-scale investigation into the cause of the accident in coordination with relevant authorities, including police and the fire department.
Operations at all the attractions of the amusement park were immediately suspended until further notice, "as we dedicate our full efforts to thoroughly investigating the cause of this incident and implementing measures to prevent its recurrence," they added.
