Climate crisis needs urgent action, Back-to-School safety drive starts in Dubai, and more, Gulf News Editors comment on August 18 trending news

CLIMATE CRISIS NEEDS URGENT ACTION: The urgency of addressing climate change is evident as Canadian fire crews battle to contain wildfires encroaching upon Yellowknife, leading to the evacuation of all 20,000 residents. Smoke has blanketed the Northwest Territories' capital, while forecasted winds increase the risk. British Columbia faces similarly extreme fire conditions. Canada's worst-ever wildfire season, with over 1,000 active fires exacerbated by climate change, underscores the crisis. Drought and high temperatures have amplified fire intensity. While the Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau has convened officials, limited infrastructure is hampering evacuations. The situation highlights the need for immediate global action on climate change to prevent further catastrophic events. (By Sadiq Shaban, Opinion Editor)

EVERGRANDE FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY: Amid China's property crisis and economic concerns, debt-laden China Evergrande Group has initiated a debt restructuring move by filing for creditor protection in a US bankruptcy court. This procedural step, done under Chapter 15 of the US bankruptcy code, aims to safeguard the company from creditor actions and asset entanglement. Although routine, the filing highlights Evergrande's colossal $300-plus billion debt. The company's offshore restructuring encompasses $31.7 billion involving bonds and obligations. As China's leading property developer grapples with its financial turmoil, a string of defaults in the property sector has raised broader economic instability, impacting GDP forecasts and investor confidence. (By Nivetha Dayanand, Web Editor)

BACK-TO-SCHOOL SAFETY DRIVE: Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is gearing up for the upcoming academic year with a range of educational endeavours aimed at various sectors. The back-to-school safety campaign include students, parents, and drivers. It involves organising awareness events, closely monitoring the situation, and optimising traffic signal timings to facilitate smooth traffic flow around school zones and neighbouring roads. More importantly, the campaign calls upon drivers and parents who do the school runs to adhere to traffic rules. Such initiatives greatly help in upholding the safety of school zones by preventing traffic incidents and ensuring the well-being of all concerned. (By Jay Hilotin, Senior Assistant Editor)

FUTURE BRIGHT WITH YOUNGSTERS SHOWING PROMISE: As many as seven players made their Twenty20 international debut when UAE played New Zealand in the first T20I on Thursday at the Dubai Stadium. UAE lost the match but not before they put up a brilliant fight. It was 18-year-old Aryansh Sharma who stood out with fine knock of 60 off just 43 deliveries. He hit three consecutive boundaries off Ben Lister plus two more successively off Kyle Jamieson and his score was the highest score by a men’s UAE cricketer on T20 debut. His brave innings provides a clear insight to where the team is headed to given that they have some important series coming up including the World Cup Qualifiers. (By Jai Prasad V Rai, Assistant Editor)