Headline

Wildfire Engulfs Mountain Near Western Canada City

Published

10 months ago

August 13, 2025

Nearly 20,000 residents of a community in western Canada were on standby on Wednesday as a wildfire engulfed a mountain overlooking the city of Port Alberni, the latest area threatened in the country’s second-worst fire season on record.

“I’ve lived in Port Alberni since 1956, and this is one of the biggest fires we’ve ever seen,” Russ Wetas, 69, told AFP as smoke from Mount Underwood filled the sky behind him.

The wildfire service in the west coast province of British Columbia has listed the Mount Underwood fire as “out of control,” meaning it is expected to spread further.

But it remained unclear if Port Alberni, roughly 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) north, will be evacuated.

On the opposite end of the vast country, in the easternmost province of Newfoundland and Labrador, parts of the capital, St. John’s, received evacuation orders on Tuesday, following several days of intensifying fire.

A wildfire was also burning on Wednesday on the outskirts of Halifax, a major city in the eastern province of Nova Scotia, with a population of nearly half a million.

This is already Canada’s second-worst wildfire season in terms of landmass burned, based on figures dating back to 1983.

So far, 7.4 million hectares (18.3 million acres) have been scorched, an area nearly as large as Panama, putting 2025 past the 7.1 million hectare mark from 1995.

But this year is not expected to pass 2023, when 17.3 million hectares burned, an extraordinary toll that focused global attention on the growing threat of wildfires boosted by human-induced climate change.

Smoke from this year’s wildfires has put tens of millions of people under air quality alerts in both Canada and the United States. The haze has even crossed the Atlantic, affecting people in western Europe.

More than 700 wildfires were burning across Canada on Wednesday, including 161 considered out of control, with nearly every province and territory impacted.

Mount Underwood is on Vancouver Island, making the blaze there part of a worrying trend of increased wildfire activity near the coast.

Experts have said that historically, coastal areas did not burn, but more serious wildfires near the ocean are being recorded, even if they remain less intense than blazes further inland.

“This is a fire that hasn’t been seen on Vancouver Island,” John Jack, a First Nations chief and regional official, told the public broadcaster CBC.

Ted Hagard, who works at Port Alberni’s paper mill, told AFP he had been watching the fire’s progression on social media but needed to see it for himself.

It’s “insane how huge it is,” the 46-year-old said, standing on the shores of a lake adjacent to Mount Underwood.

Canada is experiencing a rise in conditions that are conducive to fires, experts say, linking the trend to climate change, which has caused elevated temperatures, reduced snow, shorter and milder winters, and earlier summer weather.

Headline

Xenophobia: FG To Repatriate Over 1,000 Nigerians From South Africa

Published

2 days ago

June 7, 2026

Editor

Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) says more than 1,000 Nigerians in South Africa have undergone screening for voluntary repatriation being facilitated by the Federal Government.

Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NiDCOM, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday.

Dabiri-Erewa said the screening was being conducted jointly by the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria and South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs.

According to her, Saturday marked the third day of the exercise for Nigerians intending to voluntarily return home from South Africa.

“The turnout at the High Commission of Nigeria in Pretoria has been truly impressive.

“The screening started early on Saturday, and Nigerians came out in large numbers to participate in the process.

“In spite of the emotional atmosphere surrounding the prevailing tensions and uncertainty, the exercise has been smooth, peaceful, organised, and highly professional under the supervision of the Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner, Amb. Olatunde Ajayi.

“More than 1,000 Nigerians have registered for the voluntary evacuation, and many more are registering.

“All things being equal, the flights are expected to commence next week through Air Peace, as President Bola Tinubu has approved funds for that purpose,” she said.

Dabiri-Erewa added that five flights are expected to be deployed for the repatriation, with the first batch of evacuees scheduled to depart for Nigeria next week.

NAN reports that the repatriation of Nigerians is coming amid safety concerns of foreign nationals following recent anti-immigrant protests in parts of South Africa.

Headline

Gunmen Shoot 12 People Near Ohio Festival In US

Published

2 days ago

June 7, 2026

Editor

At least 12 people were injured in a shooting near a community festival in the US state of Ohio, prompting a police search for those responsible.

The incident occurred on Saturday near the Old West End Festival in Toledo, according to the Toledo Police Department.

Police said officers responded to reports of gunfire at about 5:37 p.m. local time near the festival grounds.

In an update, authorities said 10 of the victims were in stable condition, while two remained in critical condition.

Speaking on the incident, Toledo Deputy Police Chief Joe said preliminary investigations suggest the shooting involved two individuals.

“It appeared that two people fired weapons and they were probably shooting at each other,” he said, adding that the victims range in age from 16 to 61 years.

Earlier, Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz told local broadcaster WTOL 11 that all of the victims were expected to survive.

The Old West End Festival is a two-day annual event that celebrates one of the largest historic districts in the United States. Activities include live music, food vendors, shopping, house tours, and other community attractions.

Police said investigators are focusing on the area around Delaware Avenue and Robinwood Avenue, where festival activities were taking place.

Videos shared on social media appeared to show festival attendees running for safety as multiple gunshots rang out. Other footage showed emergency responders attending to injured individuals and transporting some victims on stretchers. The videos have not been independently verified.

Reacting to the incident, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine expressed concern and offered support to those affected.

“I am deeply concerned about the situation in Toledo tonight,” he said.

“Summer festivals should be safe spaces for families to spend time together without fear of violence. Fran and I are praying for everyone impacted by the incident at the Old West End Festival, and we are confident that law enforcement will locate the suspects involved in this senseless crime.”

Police have not announced any arrests and continue to search for the suspects.

Headline

US Plans To Use Frozen Iranian Assets To Compensate Gulf Allies

Published

2 days ago

June 7, 2026

Editor

The United States (US) Treasury Department is considering the use of frozen Iranian assets to help Gulf allies recover from damage linked to attacks by Iran during the ongoing conflict, according to a source familiar with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s position.

The source told CBS News on Saturday that the Treasury intends to explore all available legal authorities to make Iranian assets accessible for rebuilding and repair efforts related to any future damage caused by Tehran.

According to the source, Bessent has directed the Treasury Department to obtain detailed estimates from Gulf allies on the costs of repairing damage attributed to Iran since the conflict began.

The department is also assessing whether Iranian assets could be used to fund repairs for damage already sustained by Gulf countries during the war.

The source, however, said it remains unclear which specific Iranian assets could be utilised. These could include frozen cash held in foreign bank accounts or physical assets such as oil tankers.

The development comes as indirect peace talks between the United States and Iran continue.

Iran has maintained that any agreement would require the removal of sanctions and the release of billions of dollars in Iranian assets frozen abroad.

Since the conflict erupted in late February, Iran has carried out intermittent missile and drone attacks targeting Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman.

The reported Treasury proposal signals a possible shift in how the United States may seek to address the financial impact of the conflict on its regional partners while discussions with Tehran continue.