Spain has deployed hundreds more troops to fight 20 major wildfires as extreme heat fuels one of the worst fire seasons in southern Europe in two decades.
In the northwestern region of Galicia, several blazes have merged into a large fire, forcing the closure of highways and rail links. Villagers in places such as Villardevos have resorted to buckets of water after electricity cuts prevented pumps from working.
“The fireplanes come in from all sides, but they don’t come here,” local resident Basilio Rodriguez told Reuters.
Deadly season
Spain has lost more than 115,000 hectares to fire in the past week, with three deaths reported. Temperatures are expected to rise to 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) in some areas, according to weather agency AEMET.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, speaking in the hard-hit Ourense region, warned of “challenging days ahead” and announced an increase in military reinforcements to 1,900 troops.
Adverse conditions
Emergency services chief Virginia Barcones said extreme heat and high fire risk were making containment efforts harder, though cooler weather was forecast from Tuesday.
Interior ministry data show 27 people have been arrested and 92 placed under investigation for suspected arson since June.
Portugal also hit
Neighbouring Portugal is facing its own crisis, with about 155,000 hectares burned this year — triple the long-term average. About half of that area was lost in the past three days.
Thousands of firefighters are battling eight large fires in central and northern Portugal, including one near the tourist area of Piodao. Another blaze in Trancoso has been burning for more than a week. A smaller fire nearby killed a resident on Friday — the country’s first wildfire death this season.
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China has released the first and second volumes of a compilation of speeches by President Xi Jinping on comprehensively deepening reform, covering works from 2012 to 2025.
More than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants will continue striking despite federal back-to-work orders, their union said Sunday, intensifying disruption at Canada’s largest airline.
U.S. President Donald Trump may offer NATO-like protection for Ukraine, a move that Russia is open to, according to his top foreign policy aide. The suggestion comes ahead of talks in Washington with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders on possible security guarantees.
A 5.8-magnitude undersea earthquake hit Indonesia’s Sulawesi island on Sunday, injuring 29 people and damaging buildings, including a church where worshippers were gathered.
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.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 56 kilometres east of Gorgan in northern Iran early Sunday morning, according to preliminary seismic data.
A deadly heatwave has claimed 1,180 lives in Spain since May, with elderly people most at risk, prompting calls for urgent social support.
Media accreditation is now open for COP30, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, set to take place in Belém, Brazil in 2025.
China has released the first and second volumes of a compilation of speeches by President Xi Jinping on comprehensively deepening reform, covering works from 2012 to 2025.
More than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants will continue striking despite federal back-to-work orders, their union said Sunday, intensifying disruption at Canada’s largest airline.
U.S. President Donald Trump may offer NATO-like protection for Ukraine, a move that Russia is open to, according to his top foreign policy aide. The suggestion comes ahead of talks in Washington with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders on possible security guarantees.
A 5.8-magnitude undersea earthquake hit Indonesia’s Sulawesi island on Sunday, injuring 29 people and damaging buildings, including a church where worshippers were gathered.
Three men have been killed and nine others wounded in a gang-related shooting at a crowded nightclub in Brooklyn, despite New York City recording historic lows in gun violence this year.
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