Asia

Kathmandu, Nepal: Nepali rescuers searched Wednesday for survivors feared trapped inside hydropower tunnels a week after devastating floods, but hopes were fading as teams hit dead ends and no one was confirmed alive. The government had said intially it believed that more than 100 workers could be alive inside multiple tunnels. "The search and rescue operation is still underway, and foreign teams are also supporting it at the hydropower tunnels," said Shanti Mahat, spokeswoman of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). "They are continuing to work despite difficulties. There is a heavy volume of mud and debris and sludge." Those feared trapped are among 639 hydropower workers missing since a wall of mud and debris swept down on August 26, according to NDRRMA figures. "In some cases it has been difficult to find the entry points and, even when they have been found, the rescuers have found the tunnels blocked inside," Mahat told AFP. "But efforts continue." Rescuers pulled at least three bodies out of two tunnels on Monday, and entered several hundred metres (feet) into some tunnels, but were stopped by mud. "We have access to all the tunnels, but it's problematic to get inside, as there are rocks and sludge," Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha told reporters on Tuesday. The Nepal Electricity Authority said 11 hydropower stations and one solar power station, with a combined capacity of 431.1 megawatts, had stopped operating, about 10 percent of the country's installed electricity generation capacity. Another 15 power projects under construction, with a planned capacity of 470 megawatts, were damaged.

Gulf

Kuwait: Kuwait's fire force said Wednesday that firefighters had contained a blaze at a residential complex in the capital after the site was struck by an Iranian drone. Fire Force spokesman BrigadierGen. Mohammad Al Ghareeb said firefighting teams responded to the scene early Wednesday and brought the fire under control. No injuries were reported, Al Ghareeb said, adding that the incident caused only material damage.

Europe

London, United Kingdom: British oil giant BP on Wednesday made Ian Tyler its permanent chairman after he stepped into the role following the sudden removal of Albert Manifold over alleged governance concerns. Tyler was appointed interim chair on May 26, the same day BP unexpectedly announced the removal of Manifold, citing "serious concerns" over management as well as oversight and conduct at the company, which he has strongly denied. "BP... today announces that it has appointed Ian Tyler as chair of the company following an extensive search process, including both internal and external candidates," the company said in a statement. A month before Manifold's departure, Meg O'Neill began her role as chief executive of BP, replacing Murray Auchincloss, who stepped down after less than two years at the helm. Amid the internal unrest, BP faced a shareholder backlash at its annual meeting in April, with investors rejecting a resolution that would have reduced its climate reporting requirements.