Tunisia asylum seekers face tough challenges

Fighting in Libya has forced people to flee into neighbouring Tunisia from where they hope to cross the Mediterranean and reach Europe.

In May, 60 people drowned when a boat carrying them from Libya capsized off the Tunisian coast, near the city of Sfax. Only 16 survived. For the ones who made it out alive, they are navigating their lives as asylum seekers in Tunisia. Their home, for now, is a refugee centre.

Al Jazeera’s Sonia Gallego reports from the Tunisian beach resort of Zarzis, many have drowned in their attempt to cross, while those who were rescued are stuck in the refugee centre.

Chip stocks fall after Commerce Dept bars 5 more Chinese firms from buying US parts

The U.S. Commerce Department has banned five more Chinese companies from buying U.S. components after blacklistingtelecom giant Huawei last month. 

Higon, Chengdu Haiguang Integrated Circuit, Chengdu Haiguang Microelectronics Technology, Sugon and Wuxi Jiangnan Institute of Computing Technology are the five Chinese firms added to the department's entity list, according to a filing.

The department said these companies's activities"pose a significant risk of being or becoming involved in activities contrary to the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States."

Shares of U.S. semiconductors came under pressure after the announcement. Advanced Micro Devices tumbled more than 2%, while Xilinx and Nvidia also fell 2.2% and 1% respectively. 

The move came before President Donald Trump's key meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the G-20 summit this month to discuss the lingering trade differences. The U.S. and China have slapped tariffs on billions of dollars worth of each other's goods, while ramping up tit-for-tat threats in the ongoing trade war.

The U.S. restrictions on Huawei have forced many U.S. chipmakers and tech companies including Google to cut ties with the Chinese giant. Huawei's American chip suppliers, including Qualcomm and Intel, are reportedly quietly lobbying to ease Huawei ban. 

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Boeing to launch astronauts to the Int'l Space Station in new capsule

Exclusive: Inside Boeing’s Starliner production facility

Starliner capsules are hoping to carry astronauts to space and back by the end of the year; Phil Keating reports from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Boeing is expanding its business of travel beyond 30,000 feet.

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In a partnership with NASA, the airline company is working to help the agency get American astronauts destined for the International Space Station safely into the thermosphere with its new CST-100 Starliner – which is a capsule.

Launchpad testing is expected to begin by August.

Boeing's first corporate test pilot astronaut, Chris Ferguson, is currently training alongside two other NASA astronauts to take the inaugural flight to the ISS using the Starliner.

Boeing hired its first corporate astronaut to travel to the ISS in its CST-100 Starliner. (Courtesy Boeing)

The company's rival – private-space company SpaceX – recently suffered an explosion with their own capsule testing.

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Watch the video above to hear how Ferguson is getting ready for launch.

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Rocket to the gods: Buddhist blast off for good luck

At this time of year parts of northeastern Thailand and neighbouring Laos are declared no-fly zones for aircraft because of rockets being launched from farms below.

“Stand well back” is the advice at Buddhist festivals under way in Thailand and neighbouring Laos.

Low-flying aircraft are advised to keep clear too.

Al Jazeera’s Wayne Hay reports from Roi Et, Thailand.

Walmart, Target Sold Water With Too Much Arsenic

A non-profit study confirmed that two premium bottle water brands Panafiel by Keurig Dr. Pepper and and Starkey Spring water by Whole Foods contained more than recommended levels of arsenic, a heavy metal.

The arsenic content found in the bottled water, sold at Walmart, Target and Whole Foods, were so high that could affect reproductive system, cardiovascular health and could cause even cancer. In children, higher arsenic levels can cause hormone disruption and organ damage.

Michael Green, CEO of Center for Environmental Health that conducted the study said, “Customers typically purchase bottled water at exorbitantly high costs with the assumption that it is safer and healthier to drink than tap water, unaware that they are ingesting an extremely toxic metal linked to birth defects and cancer.”

Federal limit of arsenic in bottled water is 10 parts per billion, while consumer organizations are looking for 3 parts per billion to be really safe to drink.

According to California law, more than recommended levels of arsenic should be labeled with a warning.

The giant fireball from the Philadelphia refinery explosion was seen by satellites in space

A satellite of the National Weather Service (NWS) spotted the massive fireball from the explosion at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery early on Friday morning .

"The heat signature is so large and hot it could be detected using infrared imagery," the NWS said in a tweet.

Multiple giant explosions ripped through the refinery, turning the sky bright orange and shaking homes of nearby Philadelphia neighborhoods. Some residents said debris from the explosions rained down, according to NBC Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia Fire Department said only four minor injuries were reported.