Friday, August 13 2021

*) Taliban captures more key cities Taliban militants are taking over major provincial capitals in Afghanistan at lightning pace. By Friday morning, the insurgents were in control of 12 of Afghanistan's 34 provincial capitals, which it captured in a week. US intelligence reports say capital Kabul will fall within 90 days and that a Taliban takeover of the entire country is all but certain. *) Dangerous heatwave to hit Europe Spain and Portugal are now bracing for a dangerous heatwave, after Italy reported Europe's highest temperatures. Authorities warn temperatures could pass 44 degrees Celsius in some areas. The North Africa-born heatwave has already caused deadly wildfires in Southern Europe, Greece, Turkey and Algeria. *) Dixie Fire wreaks havoc in California The Dixie Fire in California is quickly becoming one of the most destructive in the state's history. Since mid-July, Dixie has destroyed around 1,000 buildings, and burned over 160,000 hectares. Over 6,000 firefighters are battling the blaze and have successfully managed to contain 30 percent. Meteorologists predict the wildfires will continue to burn into the winter season. *) More soldiers deployed to enforce curbs in Sydney More soldiers will begin patrolling the streets in Australia's Sydney from next week to help ensure compliance of lockdown rules. More than 500 soldiers are already helping Sydney police enforce curbs at hotels and airports. New South Wales state reported 390 new locally acquired cases of Delta variant, most in Sydney, which has been under lockdown for nearly seven-weeks. And finally ... *) Britney Spears gets control of her estate Britney Spears' father has agreed to step down as conservator of her $60 million estate. The 39-year-old pop star has been seeking to remove her father's control over her affairs. A judge had deemed Spears unfit to care for herself, after her public mental breakdown in 2008.