Global brief: Fires, protests, and political shuffles mark a turbulent night

It happened while you were sleeping. Here's what the world agencies reported overnight from Sunday to Monday.

It happened while you were sleeping. Here's what the world agencies reported overnight from Sunday to Monday.

• Fires in western Canada prompt evacuation orders. The first severe fires of the season have ignited in western Canada. On Sunday, the fire engulfed an area of approximately 100 square kilometres (nearly 39 square miles) - reports Reuters. The Northern Rockies municipality, including the community of Fort Nelson in British Columbia, saw thousands evacuated. Northern Rockies Mayor Rob Fraser informed the media that the majority of the 3,500 residents of Fort Nelson and its surroundings were evacuated safely. In nearby Alberta, residents were also advised to prepare for possible evacuation. Alerts were issued for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates, and Gregoire Lake Estates. On Sunday, Alberta reported over 40 fires, including two extreme ones that spiralled out of control. The situation has since been suppressed. According to Reuters, Alberta faces no direct threat, but the alert persists as temperatures could escalate the situation.

• Tensions flare in Tbilisi as Georgian parliament is blocked. The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs has urged protesters of the foreign agent's law to clear the entrances to the parliament. Many Georgians have taken to the streets of Tbilisi, marking one of the country's largest demonstrations. Security forces have been deployed to the site. Early Monday morning, reports emerged that several Georgians had obstructed the entrances to the parliament ahead of a committee discussion concerning the transparency of foreign influences, also labelled as the "foreign agent bill" or the Russian law.

• Putin demotes Defense Minister Shoigu in unexpected decision, world media report. After 12 years, Sergey Shoigu was replaced as Russia's Minister of Defense by civilian Andrey Belousov. "Russian president is dissatisfied with the handling of his two-year invasion of Ukraine," writes the "Financial Times." According to "The New York Times," by appointing an economist, Putin subtly acknowledges the significance of industrial might for military victory. Extending his rule until at least 2030 earlier this week, Putin reassigned Shoigu to lead the Russian Security Council on Sunday.

• In Lithuania, a region with a Polish majority elects a pro-Russian candidate. In the first round of Lithuania's presidential elections on Sunday, Eduardas Vaitkus, a candidate holding pro-Russian views, secured the most votes in the Šalčininkai region, predominantly inhabited by Poles, with 40 percent. Eduardas Vaitkus, a Kaunas-based doctor contesting in the presidential election, is a vocal critic of NATO, which he describes as an "aggressive military bloc," and advocates for fostering relations with Russia and Belarus.

• The collapse of a 10-story building in Belgorod leaves dozens dead. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations announced overnight from Sunday to Monday that they had recovered the body of the 15th victim from the ruins in Belgorod. The partial collapse of the building occurred on Sunday afternoon. The cause of the high-rise’s collapse remains unknown. The Kremlin has pointed fingers at Ukraine, which has yet to respond. A total of 15 people have perished, with at least 20 injured. Rescue operations continued as approximately 16 apartments were decimated.