A surge of over 200 wildfires across Canada has forced tens of thousands to evacuate, with smoke drifting into the U.S. Midwest, triggering health alerts and affecting daily life on both sides of the border.
Canada is in the grip of a severe wildfire emergency, with more than 200 active fires raging across the provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta. Of these, 106 have been declared out of control, prompting the evacuation of over 27,000 people.
In Saskatchewan, the situation is particularly critical. Fires have spread over hundreds of thousands of hectares and have breached infrastructure such as the La Ronge airport, disrupting daily life for thousands. “It has impacted like my children, not being able to go to sports practices, events getting cancelled and things like that. We haven’t seen it yet, with these wildfires but I think it’s coming, even today,” said local resident Jered Granley.
The effects of the wildfires extend far beyond Canada’s borders. Smoke from the fires has travelled southward into the United States, severely affecting air quality in the Midwest. Minnesota issued its first-ever maroon air quality alert, denoting “very unhealthy” conditions. The smoke has been detected as far away as Cincinnati, Ohio, and parts of Europe.
Health authorities have urged people in affected areas to stay indoors when possible, reduce outdoor physical activity, and use high-quality masks to protect against fine particulate matter in the air.
To date, more than 1.9 million hectares have burned across the three provinces, a figure experts say is driven by prolonged drought and elevated temperatures — both symptoms of worsening climate change. Environmental scientists caution that such large-scale fire events are likely to become more common, pressing for more robust wildfire response systems and long-term climate resilience plans.
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In a sweeping diplomatic push in Baku, Georgia and Azerbaijan have signed a landmark package of energy and transport agreements, cementing a partnership set to shape the South Caucasus corridor for decades to come.
The first-ever “WUF13 NGO Forum” in the history of the World Urban Forum (WUF) was held on 19 May 2026 at Azerbaijan’s initiative in Baku.
Germany will deploy a Patriot air-defence battery to Türkiye in the coming weeks as part of a NATO mission aimed at strengthening the alliance’s south-eastern flank, German officials have said.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for closer security coordination between Central Asia and China, warning that expanding trade and infrastructure links are exposing the region to increasingly sophisticated cross-border threats.
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the official opening press conference, the WUF13 Urban Expo opening and a ministerial dialogue on the Nairobi Declaration to advance Africa's urban agenda.
United Nations World Urban Forum 13 continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 19 May with sessions and roundtable discussions focused on strengthening dialogue and advancing cooperation in urban development. Organisers say there are nearly 3 billion people globally who face some form of housing inadequacy.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had paused a planned attack on Iran after appeals from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, allowing negotiations to continue over a possible deal to end the conflict.
A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck China’s Guangxi region early on Monday, killing two people and forcing more than 7,000 residents in Liuzhou to evacuate as rescue efforts continued.
Azerbaijan and Georgia have agreed to resume daily passenger train services on the Baku-Tbilisi-Baku route from 26 May, 2026, marking a major step in restoring regional rail connectivity after services were suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than 100 people were killed in a violent storm that battered India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, with rain and hail, the state Disaster Management and Relief office said on Thursday.
Climate change has driven a record surge in wildfires across Africa, Asia and other regions this year, with scientists warning that conditions are likely to worsen further as the northern hemisphere enters summer and El Niño weather patterns intensify.
Destruction of the world's tropical forests eased in 2025 from a record high, a report showed on Wednesday, underscoring how decisive policy can help keep trees standing despite pressures from a warmer climate and expanding agricultural frontiers.
Kazakhstan has ratified a regional green energy agreement with Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, signalling Central Asia’s ambition to become a key supplier of renewable energy to international markets.
China’s growing use of electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles took centre stage at the Beijing Auto Show 2026, which opened on 24 April, highlighting the country’s expanding clean transport ambitions.
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