International News
Canada’s Wildfires Smoke Deteriorate Air Quality In Northern U.S
A satellite image of the eastern United States shows swirling clouds of smoke from wildfires and haze enveloping large portions of that region.
Smoke moved into portions of northern New York State and Vermont on Tuesday. In the Upper Midwest, air quality alerts were issued in Minnesota.
Hundreds of wildfires continued to blaze on Tuesday across Canada, exacerbating an already active wildfire season that was only expected to worsen, and sending smoke into portions of the United States, creating poor air quality levels.
In Ontario, a layer of haze enveloped parts of Ottawa and Toronto, where Canadian officials warned residents about the poor air quality, as smoke moved into portions of northern New York State and Vermont. All of New York City was under an air quality alert on Tuesday because of the smoke; by the afternoon, the Manhattan skyline was obscured by hazy skies.
There were more than 400 active wildfires in Canada on Tuesday, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, with more than 200 deemed to be “out of control.”
In eastern Canada, Quebec was most affected by wildfires as of early afternoon on Tuesday, with more than 150 active blazes across the area, according to the fire agency. Residents in some areas were being encouraged to close their windows and doors, local officials in Quebec said.
Videos and images showed some fires blazing for miles, sending dark smoke plumes billowing into the sky.
Burned-area boundaries and hotspot locations are estimates based on satellite data, and hotspots indicate likely areas of burning detected within the previous two days. By Martín González Gómez and Madison Dong
At a press conference on Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was in contact with local officials across Canada about the fires.
“This is a scary time for a lot of people,” Mr. Trudeau said.
As of Monday, an estimated 26,000 people across Canada had been evacuated from their homes because of wildfires, Bill Blair, Canada’s minister of public safety, said at the press conference.
“The images that we have seen so far this season are some of the most severe ever witnessed in Canada,” Mr. Blair said.
A woman in an orange hoodie walks her dog along a grassy bank of the Ottawa River, and smoke obscures part of the background on the river’s opposite side.
Many Canadians who have had to evacuate in recent days had just a few hours to pack before fleeing their homes, Mr. Trudeau said.
“When people lose their homes, they don’t just lose a roof and their possessions,” Mr. Trudeau said. “They lose a special place where they saw their children grow up, where they built a life for themselves. This is incredibly difficult and heartbreaking.”
Bands of smoke from the numerous wildfires were expected to shift southward across the border on Tuesday, creating hazy skies and prompting the U.S. National Weather Service to issue air quality alerts for parts of the upper Great Lakes and the Northeast.
Large swaths of Minnesota were under air quality alerts through the evening on Tuesday, the Weather Service said. Light winds were expected to push smoke from wildfires in Quebec across Minnesota. Smoke was also predicted to move into the state off Lake Superior.
Weather officials warned that people more sensitive to poor air quality, such as people with lung disease and heart disease, children, and older adults, should limit certain activities outdoors.
Farther east, air quality alerts were also in place for multiple counties in upstate New York and New York City through midnight. Similar alerts were issued for parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont.
Satellite images of North America on Tuesday showed light brown smoke streaming south from the fires. The smoke appeared to be particularly thick over portions of Quebec, Ontario, and New York. Hazy.
More than 3,000 people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) following the country’s deadliest-ever Ebola outbreak, according to the latest official figures released on Wednesday.
The Congolese National Institute of Public Health said the outbreak has so far killed 3,007 people and infected 6,186 others, representing a fatality rate of 48.6 per cent.
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The health agency also reported that 1,409 people have recovered from the disease.
The outbreak, which was declared in mid-May, originated in the remote northeastern province of Ituri and has spread to six provinces, including areas severely affected by insecurity and the activities of armed groups.
Ebola is transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids and can cause severe haemorrhagic fever. The virus has killed more than 15,000 people across Africa over the past five decades.
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment.
Health authorities are facing significant challenges in containing the virus, with the response reportedly hampered by inadequate resources, insecurity and mistrust among some communities.
Several vaccines and treatments are being tested against the Bundibugyo strain. Existing approved Ebola vaccines are effective against the Zaire strain, which was responsible for the largest known Ebola outbreak.
The World Health Organisation has recommended a Phase Three clinical trial of Ervebo, a vaccine used against the Zaire strain, to determine whether it can also protect against Bundibugyo.
WHO experts remain uncertain about Ervebo’s effectiveness against the strain, although preliminary data indicate that it could provide some level of protection.
Meanwhile, a batch of 16,250 vaccine doses arrived in DR Congo at the end of August for frontline health workers, with vaccination beginning shortly afterwards in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo Province.
The latest outbreak has already surpassed the country’s previous worst Ebola epidemic, which occurred between 2018 and 2020 and killed nearly 2,300 people from about 3,500 reported cases.
Authorities and international health partners are continuing efforts to contain the outbreak as infections and fatalities rise.
Norway’s King Harald V has died at the age of 89, bringing an end to his more than three-decade reign and ushering in a new era for the Norwegian monarchy.
The Royal Palace announced on Friday, August 28, 2026, that the monarch died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital at 6:35am local time.
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“It is with deep sadness that we announce that His Majesty King Harald passed away today. King Harald passed away peacefully at Oslo University Hospital on Friday, August 28 at 6:35 am,” the palace said in a statement.
King Harald, who ascended the throne in 1991, had been hospitalised in Oslo since August 17 while receiving treatment for haemolytic anaemia.
His condition became “extremely serious” on Thursday, prompting members of the royal family to gather at his bedside.
His 53-year-old son, Crown Prince Haakon, has automatically succeeded him as monarch under Norway’s constitutional succession rules. He is expected to take the name King Haakon VIII.
Following the announcement of Harald’s death, the flag at the Royal Palace in Oslo was lowered to half-mast, while members of the public gathered outside the palace to lay flowers and mourn the late monarch.
Harald was widely regarded as a popular and unifying figure during his 35 years on the throne. He was also known for his modest lifestyle and efforts to modernise the monarchy.
Kaspara Bolstad, 24, described him as “a very steady and warm king.”
“I think the entire Norwegian people see him as a role model and as someone who brings people together. Whether you’re for or against the monarchy, I think he’s well-liked across the board,” she said.
Magnus Skaugseth, 27, also praised the late King’s inclusive approach.
“He was so inclusive and committed to having values that are inclusive in the society we live in today. When there is so much division and polarisation, he was a pillar pointing in the opposite direction,” Skaugseth said.
Harald had experienced several health challenges in recent years and had undergone procedures including the fitting of a pacemaker. Despite his declining health, he repeatedly ruled out abdication, maintaining that his oath to serve Norway was lifelong.
His death comes during a turbulent period for the Norwegian royal family, which has faced a series of health and personal controversies in recent months.
With Harald’s death, Crown Prince Haakon now takes over the Norwegian throne, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the country’s monarchy.
International News
US Takes Drastic Action Against UK-Based Palestine Action, Declares Group ‘Terrorist’
The United States has taken drastic action against the UK-based Palestine Action group, designating it as a “specially designated global terrorist” organisation and imposing sanctions on the group.
The designation was announced on Wednesday by the US, which accused Palestine Action of supporting “an act of terrorism.”
The US also designated two other organisations — Italy-based Autistici/Inventati, also known as A/I Collective, and the pro-Palestinian group Masar Badil — as terrorist organisations.
US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott described the three groups as “violent far-left terrorist groups.”
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would deploy its financial powers against the organisations.
“Political terrorism has no place in our society, and we will continue to cut the financial lifelines of these groups until they are eliminated,” Bessent said.
Palestine Action was established in 2020 and is currently appealing a ban imposed on it by the British government.
The UK ban has resulted in thousands of arrests, while rights organisations have criticised the move, arguing that it amounts to criminalising dissent.
According to its stated objective, Palestine Action seeks to end what it describes as “global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime.”
The group gained increased international attention after Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas fighters in southern Israel.
The latest US designation comes as President Donald Trump’s administration continues its efforts to target organisations it considers part of the far-left movement.
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In April, Amnesty International criticised what it described as attempts by the leaders of the United States, Israel and Russia to impose a new “predatory” world order through crackdowns on dissent.
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