Author: Starvision News Desk

Manila, Aug 31 (IANS) At least 15 people were killed in a fire that gutted a house in Manila on Thursday, the Philippines’ Bureau of Fire Protection said.The Bureau said three others survived the fire that broke out at around 5.30 a.m., which firefighters put out nearly three hours later, reports Xinhua news agency.The victims include household members and workers.The house was situated in the capital region’s Quezon City.–IANSksk

Canberra, Aug 31 (IANS) The Australian Treasury on Thursday said that it has acknowledged the systemic risk that climate change poses to government bonds.Global warming “presents significant risks and opportunities for Australia’s economy” and could affect the long-term value of bonds, Xinhua news agency quoted the Treasury as saying in a statement.”As a consequence, there is uncertainty about whether the fiscal impacts of climate change may affect the value of government bonds,” the statement, which also outlined the actions the government is taking on the climate crisis, said.”The government’s intention is that these reforms will assist investors to align their…

Washington, August 30 (IANS) The US economy grew more slowly in the second quarter than previously estimated — a good sign for the Federal Reserve, which is attempting to cool demand to bring down price increases, a media report said.Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic output, rose at an annualised rate of 2.1 per cent in the second quarter, according to the Commerce Department’s second estimate released on Wednesday, CNN reported. That’s a slightly slower pace than the 2.4 per cent the department initially estimated.The second estimate factored in greater consumer spending, government outlays and exports, compared to the…

New York, Aug 30 (IANS) The US Department of Labor announced it has recovered more than $71,047 in back wages and liquidated damages from a Florida-based Indian company, which denied overtime pay to 25 of its workers.Patel Shippers LLC, which provides fruits and vegetables from India and Asia to grocery stores in 10 US states, paid straight-time rates for all hours worked, including for hours over 40 in a workweek, Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found.The employer also failed to pay three workers at least the federal minimum wage by not keeping an accurate record of hours worked, in violation…

New York, Aug 30 (IANS) A team of global researchers has developed an innovative patient triage platform powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that the researchers say is capable of predicting patient disease severity and length of hospitalisation during a viral outbreak.The platform, which leverages machine learning and metabolomics data, is intended to improve patient management and help health care providers allocate resources more efficiently during severe viral outbreaks that can quickly overwhelm local health care systems. Metabolomics is the study of small molecules related to cell metabolism.“Being able to predict which patients can be sent home and those possibly needing…

Moscow, Aug 30 (IANS) Floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain in the Primorye region of the Russian Far East, have affected the wildlife and infrastructure of two national parks, “Land of the Leopard” and “Kedrovaya Pad”, local authorities said on Wednesday, authorities said on Wednesday.According to the local media, habitats birds and reptiles were washed away, and some animals, including rare Far Eastern leopards and Amur tigers, had to escape from the water to the hills, reports Xinhua news agency.On Tuesday, heavy rainfall ranging from 30 to 200 mm hit the south of Primorye region.Currently, 29 villages in Primorye…

Manila, Aug 30 (IANS) Super typhoon Saola has triggered floods and landslides in seven regions of the Philippines, affecting nearly 200,000 people, the government said on Wednesday.The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said at least one person was reported missing, but there has been no fatality so far, reports Xinhua news agency.The disaster management agency said Saola flooded 193 areas and triggered 12 landslides on main Luzon island and the central Philippines. More than 35,000 of the displaced residents are still in temporary shelters.Saola intensified into a super typhoon at dawn on Sunday, dumping heavy rain and severe…

Libreville, Aug 30 (IANS) Just hours after Gabon’s electoral commission announced that President Ali Bongo Ondimba had secured a third term in office after winning the August 26 election, the Central African nation’s mlitary on Wednesday claimed to have taken over after dissolving state institutions and cancelling the poll result.In a video message, a group of senior Gabonese officers announced that they had seized power and also closed the country’s borders until further notice, reports Xinhua news agency.”In the name of the Gabonese people … we have decided to defend the peace by putting an end to the current regime,”…

Ottawa, Aug 30 (IANS) A First Nation has found 79 suspected child grave sites and 14 potential infant grave sites at a former residential school in Saskatchewan, Canada, local media reported.”This is not a final number. It breaks my heart that there are likely more,” CTV News quoted English River First Nation chief Jenny Wolverine as saying during a news conference in Saskatoon, the capital city of Saskatchewan, on Tuesday.”We were not sure what to expect and what we would find. But we did know the stories that were shared over generations about the treatment of the students and those…

New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) India has registered 61 new Covid cases during the past 24 hours, taking the country’s overall caseload to 4,49,97,117, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.On the other hand, 48 people recovered from the disease, taking the tally to 4,44,63,666, as per the Ministry’s latest update. The recovery rate stood at 98.81 per cent. According to the Health Ministry’s data, the death toll stood at 5,31,929, while active cases at 1,522. More than 220.67 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered so far. –IANSstd/ksk