Australia warns Israel against military takeover of Gaza
Australia has warned Israel against taking full military control of Gaza, saying the move would worsen the humanitarian crisis and breach internationa...
Southern Europe is facing an intense wildfire season as heatwaves and dry conditions threaten to spark more blazes across the Mediterranean in the weeks ahead.
Wildfires have scorched parts of the Mediterranean this month, prompting lockdowns in Catalonia, Spain, and spreading dangerously close to Marseille, France’s second-largest city. Across Europe, more than 227,000 hectares of land have burned since January—over twice the average for this point in the year, according to the EU’s European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).
While this figure remains below the worst recorded years, such as 2003 and 2017 when over one million hectares burned, the 2025 season is already proving more severe than usual. As of 8 July, 1,118 wildfires had been detected—up from 716 during the same period last year. Fires have also damaged more than 3% of Syria’s forests, while thousands of residents were evacuated from the Greek islands of Evia and Crete.
Experts say the Mediterranean’s increasingly hot and dry summers heighten wildfire risk. Once a blaze ignites, dry vegetation and strong winds allow it to spread rapidly. Climate change intensifies these dangers, as higher temperatures and more frequent heatwaves create drier conditions, allowing fires to grow larger and burn longer. Europe has warmed at twice the global average since the 1980s, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
Looking ahead, the threat is likely to persist. EFFIS forecasts above-average temperatures across Europe in August, with below-average rainfall in many central and eastern regions. Although southern areas may see typical precipitation levels, much of the continent could face heightened fire danger.
Governments are stepping up their response. Greece has deployed a record 18,000 firefighters and adjusted its patrols and response strategies to detect wildfires earlier. However, declining rural populations in countries like Spain have made forest management more difficult, allowing flammable vegetation to accumulate.
The United Nations is urging countries to prioritise fire prevention over response. This includes carrying out controlled burns ahead of the fire season, restoring wetlands and peatlands, and improving land management. Without stronger preventive action, the U.N. warns, the number of extreme wildfires globally could increase by up to 14% by 2030.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will send an upgraded ‘version 3.0’ free-trade agreement to their heads of government for approval in October, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday after regional talks in Kuala Lumpur.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
A resumption of Iraq’s Kurdish oil exports is not expected in the near term, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, despite an announcement by Iraq’s federal government a day earlier stating that shipments would resume immediately.
A growing number of extreme climate events are inflating food prices around the world, with new research showing that key crops such as coffee, cocoa, rice and vegetables have seen sharp increases due to weather shocks.
The Great Barrier Reef has suffered its most significant coral decline in nearly four decades, according to a report released on Wednesday by the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences (AIMS).
Torrential monsoon rains continue to wreak havoc across northern and eastern India, with widespread flooding reported in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Overflowing rivers, submerged streets, and landslides have left residents stranded and local infrastructure overwhelmed.
Volcanoes can ground planes, bury towns, and reshape landscapes in hours. With over 850 eruptions since 2015, Earth is constantly reminding us of its raw power, but why does it erupt, and what can we expect next?
Beijing had evacuated over 70,000 residents by Monday afternoon as authorities issued fresh warnings of intense rainfall, just a week after deadly floods left dozens dead in the city’s worst deluge since 2012.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment