Author: Web Desk

France: France’s largest wildfire in nearly 80 years has engulfed parts of the southern Aude region, burning more than 15,000 hectares and forcing evacuations across several villages. The blaze, which has spread faster than expected, has already destroyed at least 25 homes, leaving one person dead and many displaced. The fire has broken out near Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, about 30 kilometres from Perpignan, where authorities have reported the most severe damage. French firefighters, nearly 2,000 strong, are working around the clock to bring the blaze under control, but shifting winds and dry conditions are making containment efforts difficult. Approximately 2,500 homes in…

Asia: Extreme weather conditions have gripped Asia, with countries across the region facing devastating consequences from floods and heatwaves. Scientists have warned that climate change is driving more intense, frequent, and unpredictable events, especially in Asia, which is warming almost twice as fast as the global average, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). In China, persistent downpours have triggered deadly floods across cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. The capital’s mountainous regions saw flash floods kill dozens, including 31 residents in an eldercare home. Southern provinces, including Guangdong, are battling landslides and viral outbreaks like chikungunya as emergency workers…

Hiroshima, Japan: Hiroshima atomic bombing anniversary has been marked with solemn remembrance in Japan as the country observed 80 years since the United States dropped the first atomic bomb during World War Two. A silent prayer was held at Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park on August 6, attended by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and delegates from across the globe. The ceremony has remembered the more than 200,000 people who lost their lives, either instantly from the explosion or later due to radiation-related illnesses. Survivors, many of whom still carry physical and emotional scars, have shared their stories to ensure younger generations…

Menlo Park: WhatsApp has taken down more than 6.8 million scam accounts as part of its global crackdown on fraud during the first half of 2025. The accounts were linked to criminal networks operating from scam centres across Southeast Asia, including countries like Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand. According to Meta, WhatsApp has proactively detected and removed these accounts before they could be used to launch widespread scams. Many of the scam operations involve forced labour and are run by organised criminal groups targeting users through fake investment offers, lottery wins, or job opportunities. To strengthen user protection, WhatsApp has introduced…

Hong Kong: Hong Kong has issued its highest-level weather warning, a ‘black’ alert, as torrential rains have brought the city to a standstill. The downpour, part of a larger weather system affecting southern China, has caused significant flooding and forced the shutdown of clinics, schools, law courts, and some airport operations. The Hong Kong Observatory recorded over 10,000 lightning strikes in a single hour early August 5, while rainfall reached up to 90mm per hour. Public safety agencies have urged residents to take shelter and avoid travel. Staircases in Hong Kong’s famously hilly cityscape turned into cascading streams, with water…

Washington: The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a revision to its immigration policies, placing new restrictions on transgender women seeking to enter the United States under sports visas. As part of the update, USCIS will now treat the participation of transgender women in women’s sports as a negative factor when evaluating sports visas and related immigration applications under categories such as O-1A (extraordinary ability), EB-1, and EB-2 green cards. This includes athletes applying through the national interest waiver program. USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser stated that the change addresses concerns regarding fairness and integrity in women’s athletic competitions.…

Kamchatka: Russian authorities have cancelled tsunami warning issued for the Kamchatka Peninsula after a strong earthquake struck near the Kuril Islands on August 3. The magnitude 7.0 earthquake, confirmed by both Russia’s Ministry for Emergency Services and the US Geological Survey, had earlier triggered safety alerts along the coastline, urging residents to stay clear of the shore. However, wave heights were later assessed as minimal, prompting the cancellation. The seismic activity has been linked to another rare geological event: the eruption of the long-dormant Krasheninnikov Volcano. According to Russian scientists, this marks the first confirmed eruption in over 600 years.…

Rome: The Pope Leo Catholic youth gathering has brought together a vast crowd at Tor Vergata on the outskirts of Rome, where the pontiff has urged young people to seek justice, serve the poor, and help build a more humane world. The event forms part of the Catholic Holy Year celebrations and marks the most attended event so far under the current papacy. Pope Leo has drawn young participants from over 146 countries who gathered under the summer sun, many wearing colourful bandanas to shield themselves from the heat, which reached nearly 30 degrees. Celsius. Water cannons were used by…

Colombia: Colombia’s former President Álvaro Uribe has become the first ex-head of state in the country to be convicted of criminal charges. Uribe has been sentenced to 12 years of house arrest after being found guilty of witness tampering and fraud. In addition to the sentence, the 73-year-old has been barred from holding public office and ordered to pay a fine of $578,000 (£435,000). Uribe, who served as president from 2002 to 2010, remains a polarising figure in Colombian politics. Uribe has maintained his innocence and said that he will appeal the conviction, claiming the charges were politically motivated. The…

San Francisco: The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco has revived a key part of a lawsuit against X, formerly Twitter, related to child pornography. The court ruled that X must face a negligence claim for failing to promptly report a video showing explicit images of minors to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The lawsuit was originally dismissed in December 2023 but was partially reinstated on August 1, 2025. The case involves two minors, referred to as John Doe 1 and John Doe 2, who were tricked on SnapChat into sharing explicit images…