Today, NewsForKids.net looks at a change in British leadership and the impact of Canadian wildfires. Andy Burnham is now the leader of the British government. And over 900 fires in Canada are sending thick smoke across North America.
Andy Burnham Becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Yesterday, Andy Burnham became the new prime minister of the United Kingdom. He is the seventh person to hold the position since 2016.
Mr. Burnham replaces Keir Starmer, a Labour leader who stepped down after becoming unpopular.
Selecting a Leader
In Britain’s system of government, the prime minister isn’t chosen directly by voters, but by the political party with the most seats. The Labour party has a majority in Parliament. That means that Mr. Burnham, as Labour’s new leader, becomes the next prime minister.
(Source:Lauren Hurley/No 10 [Open Government Licence v3.0], via Wikimedia Commons.)
Once Mr. Starmer resigned, Mr. Burnham met with King Charles III, who officially asked him to form a new government. Afterward, Mr. Burnham moved into 10 Downing Street, where the prime minister lives and works.
Mr. Burnham was the mayor of the large city of Manchester for nine years. He has big plans to change how Britain is run. He wants to move some power away from London and give it to local cities. He believes this will help people who feel forgotten by the government.
Mr. Burnham will face many challenges. The country’s economy has struggled recently, and many voters seem to have lost trust in their leaders. “We have not been good enough,” said Mr. Burnham, “And we need to be better. We will be.”
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Mr. Burnham was the mayor of the large city of Manchester for nine years. Now he wants to move some power away from London and give it to local cities. He will face many challenges. Above, Mr. Burnham speaks after becoming prime minister.
Mr. Burnham says he wants to help poor and homeless people. He wants some companies that provide important services to be owned by the government again. This includes Thames Water, the country’s largest water company. But with limited money available, Mr. Burnham will also have to carefully control government spending.
Canadian Wildfires Send Dangerous Smoke Across Canada & US
Huge wildfires in Canada are sending thick smoke across North America. This smoke has turned the sky unusual colors and made the air dangerous to breathe for millions of people in Canada and the United States.
Across Canada, over 900 wildfires are burning. Many of them are burning out of control. As of Monday, these fires had burned roughly 11,600 square miles (30,000 square kilometers) of forest.
(Source: Gogerr [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons.)
Close to 200 of the fires are in Ontario, and these fires have created massive amounts of smoke, forcing many people from their homes. The smoke is a serious health concern for people exposed to it.
The fires have created so much smoke that it can be seen from space. It has drifted through Canada and the US, causing some cities – including Toronto, New York, and Washington, DC – to have some of the dirtiest air in the world over the last few days.
Canada is fighting back where it can with fire-fighting crews and aircraft that drop water on the flames.
(Source: Lauren Dauphin, NASA’s EarthObservatory.)
But many fires start in remote areas where there are no roads. In these extreme northern wooded areas, called boreal forests, lightning strikes can quickly trigger large fires that no firefighters can reach.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to make Canada pay for polluting US air. Canadian politicians suggested that instead, the US should help out, or at least work to fight climate change. Scientists say that increasing temperatures caused by global warming makes wildfires larger and more dangerous every year.