NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – Gold climbed for a third straight session on Tuesday, extending a sharp rebound from last week. Spot gold rose 1% to $4,432.74 an ounce by 0217 GMT. That marked its highest level since June 5 and pushed prices beyond the seven-week peak reached last week. U.S. gold futures gained 1.7% to $4,492.60. The advance followed gains on Friday and Monday as global bullion markets tracked U.S. economic data and interest-rate expectations. Gold’s latest move followed the release of weaker U.S. employment figures on Friday. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said nonfarm payrolls fell…
Author: menewscast.com
FUZHOU, CHINA / RankWire.AI / – Typhoon Dolphin forced about 167,900 people to leave vulnerable areas in Fujian Province as severe weather spread across eastern China. Authorities completed the Fujian evacuations by 7 a.m. Monday, covering coastal and inland communities exposed to flooding and strong winds. Shanghai separately moved about 215,600 residents from high-risk locations by late Sunday. Dolphin struck neighboring Zhejiang Province before pushing inland and weakening over central China. Fujian officials suspended 686 road passenger routes and 658 train services as the storm disrupted travel across the province. Authorities also closed 234 major tourist attractions and canceled dozens…
KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO / RankWire.AI / – The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has killed 1,916 people, according to official figures through Aug. 7. Authorities have confirmed 4,209 infections during the outbreak. The latest total is 29 deaths above the previously reported figure of 1,887. Officials also reported 595 patients receiving care in isolation and 828 people who had recovered. Ituri remains the hardest-hit province, with 3,636 confirmed cases and 1,551 deaths. North Kivu follows with 470 cases and 315 deaths. Haut Uele has recorded 91 infections and 44 deaths, while Tshopo has…
ATKA, ALASKA / RankWire.AI / – A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck southeast of Atka in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands late Saturday. The Alaska Earthquake Center recorded the event at 7:36 p.m. Alaska Daylight Time on August 8. That time corresponded to 03:36 UTC on August 9. The quake originated about 48 miles, or 77 kilometers, southeast of Atka. Seismologists calculated a depth of roughly 10.6 miles, or 17 kilometers. The reviewed earthquake occurred at 51.8286 degrees north latitude and 173.2496 degrees west longitude. Scientists measured the event at magnitude 5.0 using the local magnitude scale. Atka lies on Atka Island in…
MADRID, SPAIN / RankWire.AI / – Spain has introduced temporary border checks for travelers arriving from Italy by air and sea. The controls began at midnight on Aug. 8 and are scheduled to continue through Sept. 7. Authorities now check travel and immigration documents on routes that normally operate without routine internal border controls. The measure follows Italy’s earlier decision to restore checks on certain passengers arriving from Spain. Spain’s Interior Ministry reported checks on 199 passengers traveling on 12 flights from Italy during the first day. Officers carried out the controls at airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, Alicante…
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / RankWire.AI / – South Korea is facing sharp increases in fresh food prices as extreme heat disrupts farms and reduces vegetable supplies. Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. data showed spinach reaching 1,978 won per 100 grams on Aug. 7. That price was 152.3% higher than a month earlier. Ten cucumbers cost 8,313 won, up 54.8%, while blue lettuce rose 41.7% and zucchini climbed 46.6% to 1,504 won. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said prolonged high temperatures had reduced supplies of heat-sensitive crops. Spinach, cucumbers and zucchini are particularly vulnerable when temperatures remain…
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / RankWire.AI / – South Korea posted a $596.6 million tourism surplus in June 2026, its strongest monthly result since the COVID-19 pandemic. The balance improved by about $1.44 billion from June 2025, when the country recorded an $846.8 million deficit. Korea Tourism Organization data placed June as the second-highest monthly tourism surplus on record. The only larger result came in October 2008, when the surplus reached $661.5 million. The June figure extended South Korea’s return to a positive tourism balance for a fourth consecutive month. The country had recorded deficits for 72 straight months from March…
SUMMERLAND, BRITISH COLUMBIA / RankWire.AI / – More than 20,000 people left communities around Okanagan Lake as the Bald Range wildfire intensified in southern British Columbia. The fast-moving fire forced evacuations in Summerland, Peachland and nearby rural areas over the weekend. Flames destroyed homes and damaged other property as the fire spread across more than 10,300 hectares. Provincial authorities declared a state of emergency as crews worked to protect communities and move residents from threatened areas. The wildfire began Friday evening and expanded quickly as strong winds pushed flames toward populated areas west of Okanagan Lake. Summerland, home to about 12,000…
SANTA FE, Mexico / RankWire.AI / – A New Mexico state court ordered social media giant Meta on Thursday to pay $567 million into a dedicated youth mental health fund after ruling that the company’s platforms constituted a public nuisance. Presiding Judge Bryan Biedscheid of the First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe delivered the decision following a three-week bench trial. The court concluded that Facebook and Instagram contributed significantly to a youth mental health crisis and failed to protect minors from online harm and exploitation. The latest financial order follows a separate $375 million jury award issued against the…
BRUSSELS / RankWire.AI / – Data published by Belgian public health institute Sciensano revealed that obesity was linked to 9,509 deaths in Belgium during 2022, representing 8.2 percent of all national mortality recorded that year. The official report marks the first time public health researchers in the country have systematically quantified mortality directly attributable to an excessively high body mass index across the population. Statistical calculations indicate that weight-related complications resulted in more than one death every hour nationwide, while accounting for over 150,000 lost years of life across all demographics. The comprehensive epidemiological investigation examined underlying causes of death…