YOUR WEEKLY NEWS UPDATE
1. For the biggest area scorched by wildfires in a single year, Canada has broken its previous record. There are 483 wildfires burning in Canada. This week’s heavy wildfire smoke prevented firefighting helicopters and water bombers from taking flight in certain regions. The likelihood of wildfires is expected to remain high throughout the summer as a result of these factors. There are many burn prohibitions in effect around the nation, and authorities have advised Canadians to exercise caution in places thought to be in high danger of wildfires.
2. For the first time since the catastrophe, pieces of the submarine that imploded during a dive on the Titanic have been seen. The Horizon Arctic ship unloaded metal pieces from the sub. Metal fragments from the sub were captured and covered in tarps before being hoisted onto trucks by cranes. The submersible’s landing frame and a rear cover were discovered amid the trash. The debris that washed up looked to be at least one titanium end cap, the sub’s porthole with its window missing, a titanium ring, the landing frame, and the end equipment bay.
3. To celebrate the most significant day of the Hajj, 1.8 million Muslims from all over the world travelled to Mount Arafat. The trip is getting out of reach due to rising prices around the world. The severe devaluation of the Egyptian pound, which has lost more than 50% of its value in comparison to the US dollar, has contributed to the price increase. Prior to COVID-19, 30% of the population was estimated to be living in poverty. One of Islam’s five pillars is the hajj. Since the pandemic, authorities have never let it operate at full capacity.
4. The Wagner mercenary outfit, which has fighters stationed there as well as rich economic interests, was unsuccessful. It is unknown if the leader of Wagner would continue to command his private army from that country in order to fulfil its security contracts in locations like the Central African Republic and Mali. The Russian Foreign Minister assured CAR and Mali that their security arrangements would not change. These nations are known to have natural resources that Prigozhin’s group is interested in, such as uranium, oil, diamonds, and gold.
5. Following the significant disruption to the 999 call services on Sunday, an investigation into BT has been opened. Emergency services reported that 999 calls were not connecting due to a technical issue across the nation. Ofcom, the communications industry’s watchdog, will now look into whether BT violated any legal requirements. The reason for the 999 service’s troubles remains unknown, but they persisted even after BT switched to a backup system. According to the government, BT waited over three hours to notify ministers of its troubles.
6. A government watchdog says that the UK has lost its leadership on climate issues, as seen by the government’s support for new coal and oil projects, plans to expand airports, and the delayed development of heat pumps. Government efforts to start climate action were criticised by the Climate Change Committee as being slow. There is less optimism than there was a year ago that the UK would meet its goals for reducing carbon emissions. The government declared its dedication to its climate goals by achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Date: 30/6/23
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