Foreign News

4.4 magnitude earthquake hits Los Angeles area

Published

2 years ago

2024/08/13

Priyan

A powerful earthquake struck near Los Angeles, California on Monday afternoon, shaking homes and startling residents for miles.

The 4.4 magnitude quake’s epicentre hit near Highland Park, a neighbourhood in Los Angeles County not far from the famous Hollywood sign and the Griffith Observatory, at around 12:20 PST (20:20 BST), according to the US Geological Survey.

It was felt in nearby cities Pasadena and Glendale, and all the way to the coastline in areas like Manhattan Beach and El Segundo.

There was no tsunami warning from the quake, the USGS said.

Officials across the state are monitoring for damage or injuries but so far, none had been reported.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said crews from the city’s 106 fire stations were doing a complete survey of the Greater Los Angeles area for structural damage or other issues.

The earthquake was first estimated as a 4.7 magnitude, but was later downgraded to a 4.4 magnitude by the US Geological Survey.

The area has seen several magnitude 4 and 5 earthquakes in recent weeks, including in Grapevine and Bakersfield, California last week.

(BBC)

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Foreign News

Head teacher evacuated 900 children minutes before school washed away by Nepal floods

Published

22 hours ago

2026/08/30

Priyan

A head teacher’s quick decision to evacuate his school saved 900 pupils from deadly flash floods along the Nepal-Tibet border

Rajendra Dawadi tells the BBC he was tipped off about incoming flood waters and moved students to higher ground with just minutes to spare. One pupil says she and her friends survived by just 10 seconds and watched as a nearby bazaar was swept away

Wednesday’s disaster has killed at least 794 people and more than 2,500 people are missing in Nepal, local officials say

In Tibet, the official death toll is 16, with 546 reported to be missing, according to Chinese state media –

[BBC]

Foreign News

Ferry carrying 260 people capsizes off northern Cyprus coast

Published

24 hours ago

2026/08/30

Priyan

A ferry carrying around 260 people has capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus with a search underway for survivors, according to local media.

The catamaran-style boat was travelling from the port of Kyrenia, also known as Girne, and started sinking a few kilometres off the coast of the island state on Sunday.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

[Aljazeera]

Foreign News

Ex-White House teleprompter operator ordered to pay $172,000 for Trump speech bets

Published

2 days ago

2026/08/29

Priyan

The staffer was found to have made tens of thousands of dollars through betting on what the president would say in his speeches (BBC)

A former White House teleprompter operator has been ordered to pay more than $172,000 (£127,000) for using inside information to bet on US President Donald Trump’s speeches.

Gabriel Perez was found to have made trades on what the president would say during addresses between December 2025 and February 2026 on Kalshi – a prediction markets platform where users can bet on real-world events.

Its regulator, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), said Perez would have to surrender profits of $107,539.02 (£79,452) and pay a civil penalty of $65,000 (£48,000).

The White House has not yet commented. In July then press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Perez was on unpaid leave and would not return to his post.

Announcing the settlement on Friday, the CFTC said Perez had “misappropriated” his prior knowledge of Trump’s speeches to place bets “in breach of his duty of trust and confidence”.

It said his civil penalty had been reduced due to his “exemplary co-operation” with the investigation.

Perez has also been banned from trading for three years.

Writing on X, Kalshi’s lead lawyer Bobby DeNault welcomed the decision: “It doesn’t matter who you are: violate our rules or federal law and you will face the consequences.”

(BBC)