Paralympics Steal the Show

The Olympics aren’t over yet--Rio De Janeiro sees a new group of talented athletes for the 15th Paralympics, from Sept. 7-18. The games started with a spectacular wheelchair jump from extreme wheelchair athlete Aaron Fotheringham as athletes from more than 160 countries gathered to compete. So far, China is in the lead with 26 gold medals, followed by Great Britain and Northern Ireland with 15.

Earthquake in Tanzania

A 5.9 magnitude earthquake has struck northwestern Tanzania, with tremors reaching as far as Kenya and Uganda. Recent reports list the death toll at 13 and over 200 people injured. The city of Bukoba sustained the most damage, but so far the government has been effectively responding to the crisis.

North and South Korean Tension

On Friday, North Korea claimed to have conducted its fifth and largest nuclear test. In response, South Korea announced it had a plan to “annihilate” the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. The U.S. is also considered more sanctions against North Korea.

The Annual Hajj Pilgrimage

From Sept. 9-14, 1.5 million Muslims will be travelling to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, one of Islam’s holiest sites. The pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam, and Mecca’s many mosques and holy sites will be filled with faithful from around the world.

Global Temperatures on the Rise

2015 was the hottest year ever recorded, but 2016 is already set to beat the record. The first half of 2016 already has much higher temperatures than this same time last year. In addition to human activity and the release of greenhouse gases, scientists say the El Nino temperature pattern this year also played a part. This article was written by Savannah Billman. Please send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Chloe Haddaway