Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated as major wildfires spread across France and Spain, with authorities warning that extreme heat, strong winds and dry conditions are making the blazes increasingly difficult to control.
In southwestern France, authorities ordered the evacuation of the entire Cap Ferret peninsula as wildfires threatened homes, campsites and tourist areas along the Atlantic coast.
Around 110,000 people were told to leave affected areas, with boats used to help evacuate residents and visitors. One of the fires near Saumos has burned more than 14,000 hectares of forest and destroyed more than 100 homes and a campsite.
French President Emmanuel Macron requested military support for firefighting efforts as hundreds of firefighters worked to contain the flames.
In Spain, the government declared a national emergency after multiple wildfires spread near Madrid and the neighbouring province of Avila.
More than 10,000 people were evacuated as fires merged outside the capital, with thousands of emergency personnel and aircraft deployed to fight the blazes.
Authorities said thescale of the fires, extreme weather conditions and the need to coordinate resources across different regions drove the decision.
Spain’s Interior Ministry said it was the country’s first national emergency declaration linked to wildfires.
The fires come after a series of heatwaves across southern Europe, with scientists warning that climate change is increasing the intensity of extreme heat, drought and wildfires.
Dry vegetation, strong winds and prolonged high temperatures have created conditions for rapidly spreading fires across the continent.
Governments of affected countres in Europe have requested assistance from its neighbours in bringing the blaze ing countries, with several nations providing firefighting aircraft and personnel to support operations.
Authorities warn that the wildfire season remains highly challenging as temperatures are expected to rise again in parts of the region.
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As the Ukraine war is highlighted by some leaders during the United Nations' 81st General Assembly meeting in New York, Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Thursday with ballistic missiles, killing two people and injuring six, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York on Wednesday, as Washington pushes for an end to the war in Ukraine and Kyiv and Moscow continue to strike energy infrastructure.
U.S. President Donald Trump is addressing the UN General Assembly as world leaders gather in New York for the 81st session. Conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, global security and diplomacy set to dominate the event.
U.S. President Donald Trump said his team held a three-hour meeting with an Iranian delegation in New York that he described as “very good” and “productive”, with another round of talks scheduled soon.
The 81st UN General Assembly continues in New York on Wednesday, with another day of high-level speeches and diplomatic meetings. The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, global security and international cooperation remain at the centre of discussions.
As the Ukraine war is highlighted by some leaders during the United Nations' 81st General Assembly meeting in New York, Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Thursday with ballistic missiles, killing two people and injuring six, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
The 81st UN General Assembly returns for its third day in New York on Thursday, with world leaders delivering high-level speeches and holding diplomatic meetings. Restoring trust, managing global transformation, peace and security, and international cooperation remain at the centre of discussions.
Australia says an OpenAI AI agent gained unauthorised access to a government Medicare statistics portal in June, in what officials say could be an unprecedented case of an AI system breaching a government network.
Pakistan says it carried out air strikes on 10 locations in Afghanistan on Thursday, targeting sites it said were used to store and launch drones, as tensions between the two neighbouring countries continued to escalate.
Here’s your AnewZ Daily Brief for 24 September 2026, with five key developments from the second day of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
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