Spain designates 16 regions as 'emergency areas' after devastating wildfires
Emergency areas have been officially designated in Spain after 113 wildfires destroyed more than 400,000 hectares this summer. Spain's Interior Minist...
France is currently battling the country’s largest wildfire in 80 years in the Aude region in the south of the country near the Spanish border. The second day of the blaze is spreading rapidly, covering an area larger than Paris.
According to the local prefecture, one person has died in the village of Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, located around 30 kilometres from Perpignan. The wildfire has swept through villages and forested areas, destroying at least 25 homes and prompting the evacuation of both residents and tourists to safer areas. Several roads in the region have been closed.
Prime Minister François Bayrou, speaking in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, described the incident as a “breathtakingly vast tragedy.”
“The disaster is a disaster of unprecedented scale,” Bayrou told journalists during a visit of the affected town, adding that an investigation on the cause of the blaze was ongoing.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau stated that the fire has so far destroyed more than 15,000 hectares of land – equivalent to the total area burned in recent years by wildfires across France. He added that this is the largest area affected by a wildfire in the country since 1949.
The prefecture reported that the fire is spreading rapidly, with approximately 2,000 firefighters mobilised to contain the blaze. As a result of the fire, more than 2,500 homes in the region are without electricity.
Fire service spokesperson Éric Brocardi told RTL radio that the fire is advancing at a speed of 5.5 kilometres per hour (around 3.4 miles per hour).
Scientists say the Mediterranean region's hotter, drier summers put it at high risk of wildfires. Once fires start, plentiful dry vegetation and strong winds in the region can cause them to spread rapidly and burn out of control.
“Today's event is linked to global warming and drought. We need to think about this with local elected officials and professional leader… We need to think about what tomorrow might bring," Bayrou said.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
Kuwait says oil prices will likely stay below $72 per barrel as OPEC monitors global supply trends and U.S. policy signals. The remarks come during market uncertainty fueled by new U.S. tariffs on India and possible sanctions on Russia.
Emergency areas have been officially designated in Spain after 113 wildfires destroyed more than 400,000 hectares this summer. Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska made the announcement on Wednesday.
The German government on Wednesday approved the creation of a permanent National Security Council aimed at strengthening the country’s medium- and long-term security planning.
Hussam al-Masri, a Reuters cameraman who was killed Monday at Gaza’s Nasser Hospital, had spent months capturing the daily hardships of civilians while living in a makeshift tent and struggling to provide for his family.
More than 100,000 people in Ukraine are without electricity after Russian forces carried out extensive overnight drone attacks on energy and gas transport infrastructure across six regions, causing significant damage in Poltava, Chernihiv and Sumy on Wednesday.
Head of the Catholic church Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday urged the global community to push for a permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, calling for the release of hostages and safe delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment