News in Brief(2023-08-09)

Israel security forces demolishes home
of alleged Palestinian attacker
RAMALLAH, Aug 08: Israeli security forces on Tuesday demolished the West Bank home of a Palestinian man accused of carrying out a deadly shooting attack earlier this year, the military said, the latest incursion to fuel tensions in the occupied territory. Israel's decades-old tactic of leveling the family homes of alleged Palestinian assailants has drawn intense criticism from human rights groups, which call it collective punishment - prohibited under international law. — AP
IS kills 10 pro-govt fighters in Syria
BEIRUT, Aug 08: Islamic State group fighters killed 10 Syrian government troops and militiamen in the jihadists' former stronghold of Raqa province, a war monitor said Tuesday. "IS attacked positions and checkpoints belonging to the regime... setting fire to military vehicles and prefabricated houses" late Monday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. — AFP
July hottest month on record
PARIS, Aug 08: July was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth, the European Union's climate observatory confirmed Tuesday. Marked by heatwaves and fires all around the world, the previous month was 0.33 degrees Celsius higher than the record set in July 2019 when the average temperature was 16.63C (32 Fahrenheit), it said. "The month was 0.72C warmer than the 1991-2020 average for July," it said. About 1.2 degrees Celsius of global warming since the late 1800s, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, has made heatwaves hotter, longer and more frequent, as well as intensifying other weather extremes like storms and floods. — AFP
Storm plays havoc in E US
WASHINGTON, Aug 08: At least two people died, thousands of U.S. flights were canceled or delayed, and more than 1.1 million homes and businesses lost power Monday as severe storms, including hail and lightning, moved through the eastern U.S. The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for the greater D.C. area, lasting until 9 p.m. A special Weather Service statement warned, "There is a significant threat for damaging and locally destructive hurricane-force winds, along with the potential for large hail and tornadoes, even strong tornadoes. — AP