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Solar panels could be installed in the spaces between railway tracks in world first. Swiss start-up Sun-Ways is installing panels near Buttes train station in the west of the country in May, pending sign-off from the Federal Office of Transport. As the climate crisis demands that we speed up Europe’s energy transition, developers have been seeing new potential in unusual surfaces. Roadsides, reservoirs and farms are all finding space for solar systems. And Germany’s Deutsche Bahn is also experimenting with adding solar cells to railway sleepers. https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/03/17/solar-panels-could-be-installed-in-the-spaces-between-railway-tracks-in-world-first

Twenty years after the US-led invasion of Iraq, the country remains mired in corruption, political instability and violence. According to OPEC, the Organisation of Oil Exporting Countries, Iraq has the world’s fourth largest reserves after Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Iran. But the country's citizens see little benefit, with power cuts commonplace in many parts of the country. Billions of dollars worth of revenue is either syphoned off through corruption or fail to reach the national coffers. Militias continue to dominate parts of the country and the creation of lasting and stable governments is proving elusive. High youth unemployment leaves millions of people with little prospect for the future.

Iranian authorities have committed violations since protests erupted last year that may amount to crimes against humanity, a UN expert has warned. Special rapporteur Javaid Rehman told the UN Human Rights Council that he was alarmed by the scale and gravity of the reported cases of murder, imprisonment, enforced disappearance, torture, rape and persecution. He called for an international fact-finding mission to investigate them. Iran said the allegations were made up. Protests swept across the Islamic Republic in September following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was detained by morality police in Tehran for allegedly wearing her hijab "improperly". Iran's state coroner attributed her death to pre-existing medical conditions, but Mr Rehman said the evidence established that she died "as a result

Two banks connected with the late Jeffrey Epstein will face lawsuits over claims they enabled his sex trafficking, a US court has ruled. Two women who say the financier sexually abused them brought the case against JP Morgan Chase and Deutsche Bank. Judge Jed Rakoff also gave the go-ahead to a case against JP Morgan from the US Virgin Islands. The banks deny being aware of Epstein's abuses. In a four-page order Judge Rakoff wrote that the women and Virgin Islands government could try to make the case the banks had "knowingly benefited from participating in a sex trafficking venture". He also allowed the women to pursue claims the banks were negligent and obstructed enforcement of a federal anti-trafficking law.

Robert Costello, a former legal adviser for one-time Donald Trump attorney Michael Cohen, has been called to testify before a New York grand jury. Mr Costello is expected to testify on Monday afternoon in a case against the former president over hush money paid to ex-porn actress Stormy Daniels. The case may see criminal charges brought against Mr Trump. Mr Costello has been called by Mr Trump's legal team to discredit previous testimony by Mr Cohen. Mr Cohen - who is understood to have appeared before the grand jury this month - arranged a hush-money payment to Ms Daniels, who claimed to have had an affair with Mr Trump.

Sri Lanka has secured a $2.9bn (£2.3bn) bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as it faces its worst economic crisis since independence. The deal has been nearly a year in the making and a lifeline for the country that has billions of dollars in loans. Foreign minister Ali Sabry told the BBC the government will raise funds by restructuring state-owned enterprises and privatising the national airline. However, analysts warned Sri Lanka still faces a tough road ahead. The country's economy has been hit hard by the pandemic, rising energy prices, populist tax cuts and inflation of more than 50%. Why is Sri Lanka in crisis? The daily heartbreak of life in a country gone bankrupt

Alvin Bragg made history in 2021 as the first black man elected New York County district attorney. His spotlight is about to grow a lot brighter. Mr Bragg, 49, could become the first prosecutor - at the federal, state or local level - to bring criminal charges against a former American president. His office has been investigating an alleged hush money settlement between Donald Trump and an adult film star. With the probe nearing its end, an indictment of Mr Trump may be imminent. The case stems from a $130,000 (£106,000) payment made by his then-personal attorney Michael Cohen to pornographic actress Stormy Daniels at the height of the 2016 presidential election, allegedly in exchange for her silence over an affair with Mr Trump. The Republican ex-president denies wrongdoing. He predicted without evidence that he will be arrested on Tuesday and has called for his supporters to protest and "TAKE OUR NATION BACK!"

Putin says he's looked at China's proposals to settle war in Ukraine We're hearing the beginnings of these talks between the Chinese and Russian presidents. Vladimir Putin has told Xi Jinping that he looked at China's proposals for a resolution of the Ukraine conflict (we reported on that earlier, here) and viewed them with respect. He also said they'd have "an opportunity to discuss this issue" during Xi's state visit. Russian state TV is showing footage of the pair meeting at the Kremlin, with Putin being filmed telling his Chinese counterpart: "Dear friend, welcome to Russia."

Online retail giant Amazon plans to cut another 9,000 jobs as it seeks to save costs. The firm, which employs 1.5 million people worldwide, said the cuts would fall mainly in areas including cloud computing and advertising. It did not say which countries would be affected but said the positions would be closed in the next few weeks. Boss Andy Jassy said it was a "difficult decision" but it would be best for the company in the long term. The firm already axed 18,000 jobs in January. Mr Jassy said that in recent years, most areas of Amazon's business had been adding roles. "However, given the uncertain economy in which we reside, and the uncertainty that exists in the near future, we have chosen to be more streamlined in our costs and headcount," he continued. Amazon to axe 18,000 jobs as it cuts costs UK Amazon workers take second day of strike action Amazon calls staff back to office three days a week

Around 43,000 people may have died in Somalia last year after several failed rainy seasons, a new report from the Somali government and UN suggests. It is the first official death toll from the drought in the Horn of Africa. Half of the fatalities are thought to be in children under five. The crisis is "far from over", with 18,000-34,000 more deaths expected in the first six months of this year. In 2011, a famine in Somalia killed over a quarter of a million people. "We are racing against time to prevent deaths and save lives that are avoidable," said World Health Organisation (WHO) representative Dr Mamunur Rahman Malik. He added that the "cost of our inaction" would mean children, women and vulnerable people would die as "we hopelessly, helplessly witness the tragedy unfold".

Poland would have 'no choice' but to 'enter the conflict' in Ukraine if the war-torn country fails to defend itself, Warsaw's ambassador to France has warned. Jan Emeryk Rościszewski said Poland would have to enter the war if Ukraine failed to defend itself against Russia because the basis of its 'civilisation and culture' would be threatened.

The Rolls-Royce Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow has been revealed as the British firm’s final ever V12-powered coupé, ahead of its switch to all-electric power. Limited to just 12 units, which have already been sold to customers around the world, the Black Arrow sees out 10 years of Wraith production. It has been described by Rolls-Royce as a “fitting finale” for the two-door coupé.

The World Health Organization (WHO) took aim at Chinese officials for withholding information that could shed light on the origin of COVID-19. "These data could have — and should have — been shared three years ago," WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Friday, according to a report from the New York Times. Ghebreyesus' comments come after Chinese data that first became available in January was suddenly pulled offline after researchers offered to collaborate with Chinese scientists to analyze the data.

The Air Force revealed last week that the debut flight of the B-21 Raider stealth bomber is delayed several months. Speaking at the McAleese & Associates conference in Washington, Air Force secretary Frank Kendall said the B-21’s first flight "slipped from the original schedule" but is still within the baseline schedule and cost.