If you’ve either had a busy weekend or haven’t had the chance to follow news updates, here’s a wrap of the five stories that made headlines that you may have missed.
1. One of Earth’s hottest temperatures may have been recorded in Death Valley
Amid a historic heatwave in the West, the mercury in Death Valley, California, surged to a searing 130 degrees on Sunday afternoon, possibly setting a world record for the highest temperature ever observed during August.
The temperature in Death Valley hit 130 degrees at 3:41 p.m. Pacific time on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. If verified, the reading would break Death Valley’s previous August record by three degrees, the Weather Service tweeted.
2. President Donald Trump’s younger brother, Robert Trump, has died
The White House confirmed on Saturday that President Trump’s younger brother, Robert, passed away at the age of 71.
The president visited his brother at a New York City hospital on Friday after White House officials said he had become seriously ill.
“It is with a heavy heart I share that my wonderful brother, Robert, peacefully passed away tonight,” Donald Trump said in a statement. “He was not just my brother, he was my best friend. He will be greatly missed, but we will meet again. His memory will live on in my heart forever. Robert, I love you. Rest in peace.”
3. Astronomers have discovered our Milky Way galaxy’s twin
On Friday, the Weather Channel India tweet that “The newly discovered galaxy was formed when the universe was just 10% of its current age—about 1.4 billion years old. A galaxy comprises gas, dust & billions of stars—held together by gravity. Milky Way galaxy that holds the entire solar system—is about 13.51 billion years old.”
The newly found galaxy is named SPT0418-47 and is estimated to be located about 12 billion light-years from our galaxy. It is so far that its light takes nearly 12 billion years to travel and reach Earth.
4. Protesters in Belarus boo Lukashenko as unrest over election spreads
Workers chanted “leave” and booed the long-time leader of the ex-Soviet state as he insisted on not allowing a new vote after ballot fraud allegations.
Police violence towards opposition supporters, as well as the alleged poll-rigging in the 9 August vote, fuelled a big protest rally in the capital Minsk on Sunday.
Hundreds of protesters have been wounded, and two have died in clashes with police over the past week. Some 6,700 people have been arrested, and many have spoken of torture at the hands of security forces.
Lukashenko has led Belarus since 1994, maintaining close relations with neighbouring Russia, on which Belarus heavily relies for energy supplies.
5. A more infectious strain of coronavirus found in Malaysia
A strain of the novel coronavirus that is ten times more infectious has been found in Malaysia. This specific strain has previously been seen in other parts of the world and is predominant in Europe and the United States.
Notably, the strain was found in a cluster linked to a man returning from India and in another group tracing back to the Philippines.
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