Author: Abhirami Priya

London: Millions across Europe are set to witness a rare celestial event on August 12, when a solar eclipse crosses parts of the continent. A narrow stretch of northern and central Spain, along with a small part of Portugal, Greenland and Iceland, will experience a total eclipse, while much of western Europe, including the UK, France, Belgium, Switzerland and northern Italy, will see a partial eclipse. What is a solar eclipse? A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves directly between the Earth and the Sun, casting its shadow over parts of the Earth. A total eclipse happens when the…

London: UK consumer confidence reached its strongest level in nearly two years in July, with research suggesting that the men’s football World Cup and a rise in domestic holidays helped drive summer spending. Improved sentiment was also supported by a ceasefire in the Middle East conflict in June and the arrival of a new prime minister at 10 Downing Street, easing some of the uncertainty that had weighed on consumers for an extended period. According to Barclays’ monthly consumer spending survey, 30 percent of respondents said that they were confident about the strength of the UK economy in July. This…

Dublin: The growing trend of treating the scalp like facial skin is driving a new wave of haircare products, with brands introducing scalp scrubs, acid-based exfoliants and deep-cleansing shampoos that promise to remove buildup, improve hair shine and even support hair growth. Desmond Tobin, Professor of Dermatological Science at University College Dublin, describes the trend as the ‘skinification’ of the scalp. Tobin noted that consumer interest in improving facial skin over the past several decades has increasingly shifted towards the scalp and hair. According to Tobin, the trend also represents a significant commercial opportunity for beauty companies, as ingredients and…

Beijing: Chinese authorities have evacuated more than one million people across eastern China, including Shanghai, after Typhoon Dolphin made landfall, bringing torrential rain and widespread disruption to transport services. The storm was downgraded to a tropical storm after reaching the mainland, but authorities continued to warn of intense rainfall, flooding and possible landslides through August 12, as the system moves north. Before making landfall, Chinese authorities had issued the country’s highest-level red alert for Dolphin, which was described as the strongest storm to hit China so far this year. https://twitter.com/ExplorePingyang/status/2086716686565323156 Dolphin recorded maximum sustained winds of around 150km/h (94mph) when…

British Columbia, Canada: A state of emergency has been declared as the fast-moving Bald Range wildfire forces more than 20,000 people to evacuate their homes, with the blaze more than doubling in size since it was first reported on August 7. The Bald Range wildfire has spread across more than 103 square kilometres (39 square miles) in the Summerland, Peachland and surrounding areas of British Columbia, according to the BC Wildfire Service. British Columbia Premier David Eby described the situation as extremely dangerous, saying a fire official had compared the intensity of the blaze to “a bomb going off.” Eby…

California: A potentially powerful El Niño developing this year could bring an unusually wet winter to parts of the western and south-eastern United States, while increasing the threat of coastal flooding, according to climate forecasts. El Niño occurs when shifts in Pacific Ocean wind patterns allow warmer-than-usual seawater to move towards the central and eastern equatorial Pacific. Climate scientists expect the phenomenon to strengthen through the autumn and winter and continue into early spring 2027. Forecasters are describing the expected event as a potentially “super” El Niño, a term used when Pacific sea surface temperatures rise at least 2°C above…

Tokyo: Typhoon Dolphin has struck Japan’s southern Okinawa region, injuring five people and disrupting electricity supplies to around 14,000 buildings, as the powerful storm moves towards China’s eastern coast. Okinawa and Amami Island in Kagoshima prefecture have been among the areas most affected in Japan. Five elderly residents sustained non-life-threatening injuries, with three reportedly falling because of strong winds, according to the Okinawa prefectural government. The storm has also disrupted air travel, with flights cancelled across parts of Japan, China and Taiwan as authorities prepare for worsening weather conditions. https://twitter.com/JMA_bousai/status/2085934296469307449 Dolphin developed from a tropical depression that formed over the…

London: Children in the UK are increasingly reporting explicit deepfake images created using artificial intelligence, prompting renewed warnings about the risks posed by widely available AI image-generation and ‘nudification’ tools. Report Remove, a service that helps children have intimate images removed from the internet, received 420 reports from under-18s during the first six months of 2026 involving images they believed had been digitally manipulated or fabricated. The figure has already surpassed the 397 reports recorded throughout 2025. The service is operated by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) in partnership with the NSPCC. The growing number of reports highlights concerns that…

London: Nearly half of parents remain unaware of new school uniform rules that will come into effect in September, despite the changes being introduced to help families manage rising education costs. From next month, most schools will only be permitted to require parents to purchase a maximum of three branded uniform items per child. The reform aims to make school uniforms more affordable by reducing the number of compulsory items that carry school logos or branding. However, a survey of 1,000 parents of school-age children found that 48 percent had not heard about the upcoming changes. The findings, published by…

Hong Kong: Claw machine arcades have become a growing feature of Hong Kong’s shopping centres and commercial districts, with more than 2,500 outlets now operating across the city. Many have taken over vacant retail spaces left behind after businesses closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering visitors around-the-clock access to games featuring plush toys, Labubu dolls and Pokémon collectibles. The machines have attracted a wide range of players, from casual visitors seeking entertainment to collectors hoping to win rare items with resale value. Their popularity has also created a small business opportunity, with some enthusiasts renting machines and operating their own…