Author: News Desk

Canada: Canada’s British Columbia province in the west has declared a state of emergency due to a swiftly spreading wildfire that is endangering more homes in the vicinity of West Kelowna city. Premiere Mr. David Eby said authorities were “facing the worst wildfire season ever”, as thousands were evacuated from cities east of Vancouver. Mr. Eby has also warned that “the situation has evolved rapidly, and we are in for an extremely challenging situation in the days ahead.” The McDougall Creek, a province, wildfire expanded from 64 to 6,800 hectares within a day. Approximately 4,800 individuals have been issued evacuation…

Belgium: The songs of American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift are going to be study material at a Belgian university. A literature professor in Belgium is using Taylor Swift’s songs as the basis for a course that explores classic English literature and its themes, highlighting the bookish qualities of Swift’s lyrics. “I’ve never had so many emails from excited students asking if they can take the course, and actually non-students as well, people who are not part of the university and who want to participate in some way,” said McCausland, an assistant professor at the Belgian university. McCausland proposed a unique elective…

United Kingdom: A new analysis has found that adding a blue-light filter to your eyeglasses may not ease eye strain from computer work, protect the retina, or help with sleep at night. The report, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, studied data from 17 randomised controlled clinical trials conducted in six countries that lasted from a few days to a few months. The review is part of the nonprofit Cochrane Collaboration, an independent, international network of researchers that uses some of the highest standards in evidence-based research. “We found there may be no short-term advantages with using blue-light…

Columbia: According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), an earthquake of 6.3 magnitude has struck the Colombian capital, Bogota. This was followed by dozens of aftershocks. There were no immediate indications of significant harm from the earthquake on 17th August 2023, which Colombia’s national geological service recorded as having a magnitude of 6.1. The Colombian agency stated that it struck at 12:04 PM (17:04 GMT), with its epicentre in the town of El Calvario, 40km (25 miles) southeast of Bogota. It hit at a depth of less than 30km (19 miles). Mayor Ms. Claudia Lopez said one woman fell…

United States: Major Chinese real estate company Evergrande has sought bankruptcy protection in the United States as the real estate situation worsens in China. This move will enable the financially burdened company to safeguard its US assets while it negotiates a multi-billion-dollar agreement with its creditors. In 2021, Evergrande failed to meet its substantial debts, causing significant ripples in worldwide financial markets. This action occurs as issues within China’s real estate market contribute to worries about the world’s second-largest economy. On 17th August 2023, China Evergrande Group submitted a filing for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection in a New York court.…

South Africa: China’s President Mr. Xi Jinping will attend the 15th BRICS Summit in South Africa as he makes a state visit to the country next week. “At the invitation of President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa, President Mr. Xi Jinping will attend the 15th BRICS Summit to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, and pay a state visit to South Africa from August 21 to 24,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Ms. Hua Chunying said in a statement. The visit marks the Chinese President’s second international trip of 2023, after he travelled to Russia in March. Mr.…

United States: Lawyers for former US President Mr. Donald Trump have asked a judge to decline the government’s suggestion to hold his trial in early January of 2024, on the federal charges that he conspired to overturn the 2020 election. Instead, they proposed postponing the trial date until April 2026. Lead prosecutor Mr. Jack Smith is advocating for a January 2 start date for the trial, which is one of four criminal cases that Mr. Trump is currently confronting during his White House reelection campaign. “The public interest lies in justice and fair trial, not a rush to judgment,” the…

Niger: The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced that most of its member states are ready to participate in a standby force that is intended to intervene in Niger following a coup there. The defence chiefs of the 15-member regional bloc met in Accra as part of the latest efforts to overturn the removal of Niger’s President Mr. Mohamed Bazoum, who was deposed in a July 26 coup. “All member states except those under military rule and Cape Verde are ready to participate in the standby force,” ECOWAS commissioner Mr. Abdel-Fatau Musah stated. “Democracy is what we…

South Korea: A South Korean lawmaker has stated that North Korea may launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) or take other military action in protest at a major summit between the United States, South Korea, and Japan. US President Mr. Joe Biden is due to meet South Korean President Mr. Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Mr. Fumio Kishida at Camp David on August 19. The move is part of an effort to enhance ties between Seoul and Tokyo amid nuclear threats from North Korea and China’s increasing assertiveness. North Korea has previously criticised deepening military cooperation among the three…

Israel: Israel said that the US has approved the “landmark” sale of the Arrow 3 hypersonic missile defence system to Germany. The missile is jointly produced by Israel and the US. The Arrow 3 system is an interceptor designed to shoot down ballistic missiles above the Earth’s atmosphere. Israel’s Defence Ministry commented in a statement that the US State Department had received the US government’s approval for Germany to procure the Arrow 3 system. “The Israeli Ministry of Defence, the German Federal Ministry of Defence, and Israel Aerospace Industries will sign the landmark $3.5 billion defence agreement, marking Israel’s largest…