Friday, August 8th, 2025
Thousands under evacuation order as wildfire spreads north of L.A.
A brush fire in a mountainous area north of Los Angeles ignited and spread quickly Thursday, forcing thousands of evacuations. The Canyon Fire ignited around 1:30 p.m. local time, growing to over six square kilometres in five hours, according to Ventura County emergency response. It remained not contained late Thursday afternoon and was spreading east, the county said. The fire is burning just south of Lake Piru, a reservoir located in the Los Padres National Forest. It’s close by Lake Castaic, a popular recreation area burned by the Hughes Fire in January. ThatRead more
Israeli security cabinet approves plan for Israel to take over Gaza City
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said early Friday that Israel’s security cabinet has approved a plan to take over Gaza City. The news followed a meeting Thursday night of the security cabinet, which went on into the early morning hours. Ahead of the meeting, Netanyahu had said that Israel intends to take military control of all of Gaza, despite intensifying criticism at home and abroad over the devastating almost two-year-old war in the Palestinian enclave. “We intend to,” Netanyahu said in an interview with Fox News when asked if IsraelRead more
After walkbacks and confusion, U.S. tariffs kick in for dozens of countries
President Donald Trump began levying higher import taxes on dozens of countries Thursday, as the economic fallout of his months-long tariff threats has begun to create headwinds for the U.S. economy. Just after midnight, goods from more than 60 countries and the European Union became subject to tariff rates of 10 per cent or higher. Products from the European Union, Japan and South Korea are taxed at 15 per cent, while imports from Taiwan, Vietnam and Bangladesh are taxed at 20 per cent. Trump also expects the European Union, Japan andRead more
U.S. air force to deny retirement benefits to transgender service members being forced out
The U.S. air force said Thursday it would deny all transgender service members who have served between 15 and 18 years the option to retire early, and would instead force them out without retirement benefits. One air force sergeant said he was “betrayed and devastated” by the move. The move means that transgender service members — who are already facing expulsion under Trump administration policy — will now be faced with the choice of either taking a lump-sum separation payment offered to junior troops or be removed from the service.Read more