International News
Europe Fires: Countries Hit By Wildfires In Past Weeks
As the region experiences record high temperatures during a summer heatwave, wildfires have continued to spread over southern Europe.
More than 21,000 people had to be evacuated from the islands of Corfu and Rhodes as a result of the spread of forest fires, making Greece one of the most impacted nations.
However, a number of other nations are also battling wildfires because of the hot weather.
Biztellers looks at the European countries where wildfires have spread in recent days
GREECE
Wildfires continue to rage on the Greek island of Rhodes, where 19,000 people have been evacuated from homes and hotels since the weekend.
Fires burning since 19 July spread to the coastal resorts on the south east of the island. An estimated 2,000 people left the island by plane on Tuesday.
Hundreds of firefighters, helped by staff from Turkey and Slovakia, have been battling blazes near the villages of Gennadi and Vati on the south east of Rhodes.
About 2,500 people were evacuated because of fires on the island of Corfu on Sunday 23 July, although many returned to their hotels on Monday. Local officials claimed the fires on Corfu were started by arsonists.
Wildfires are also burning on the island of Evia, east of Athens. On Tuesday, it was reported that a plane fighting wildfires on Evia crashed with at least two people on board.
ITALY
There are a number of wildfires burning on the Italian island of Sicily as temperatures reached 47C.
Palermo airport was forced to close for several hours on Tuesday morning after flames reached just outside the perimeter.
Italy has been severely impacted by the heatwave across southern Europe, and 16 of its cities are on red alert, including Palermo and Catania on Sicily.
Elsewhere on the island, 120 families were evacuated from their homes near the seaside resort of Mondello, according to the Ansa news agency.
There have been wildfires this week near the city of Messina, and in the San Martino delle Scale area near Palermo, where Ansa said an 88-year-old woman had died in the fires.
TURKEY
On Tuesday 25 July, firefighters battled a wildfire near the seaside resort of Kemer in Turkey.
Turkish officials said 11 aircraft and 22 helicopters were tackling the blaze, which burned 120 hectares of woodland.
A local hospital was evacuated as a precautionary measure and six people were hospitalised because of smoke inhalation
SPAIN
On 16 July, more than 4,000 people were evacuated on the Spanish island of La Palma after a wildfire.
The blaze burned 2,900 hectares of the island, including 200 hectares of the Caldera de Taburiente National Park.
Agents of the Forest Fire Intervention and Reinforcement Teams (EIRIF) of the Government of the Canary Islands intervene in the La Palma fire on July 17, 2023, in La Palma, Canary Islands (Spain).
The Forest Fire Intervention and Reinforcement Teams (EIRIF) of the Government of the Canary Islands have been working on the La Palma fire creating fire breaks.
The Spanish islands of Majorca, Ibiza and Menorca have reportedly remained on high alert this week for the risk of fires.
SWITZERLAND
On Tuesday 18 July, firefighters in Switzerland battled a forest fire on a mountain in Bitsch in the Valais area near the border with Italy.
More than 200 people were evacuated as helicopters flew overhead during the night to tackle the blaze.
The fire spread to 100 hectares of forest and was still not completely under control at the weekend.
PORTUGAL
On Tuesday 18 July , Portugal requested help in the management of wildfires from the European Union civil protection mechanism, Finland’s Interior ministry said.
Finland will send 48 rescue workers to help Portugal in the event of wildfires.
While Portugal has escaped the worst of the recent southern Europe heatwave, it is facing widespread drought, with some 90% of the country affected, after an unusually hot and dry April.
MALTA
This week, a heatwave in Malta caused temperatures to soar as high as 42C.
Its Civil Protection Department was on high alert on Monday due to the potential for wildfires in the archipelago.
By Wednesday, the island country’s temperatures should be in the mid-30s.
Federal agents raided the Washington, D.C., home of Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar early Monday morning as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has confirmed.
Homeland Security Investigations agents arrived at the Minnesota congresswoman’s residence at about 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time, according to a report by Fox News.
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The report said both the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the DOJ are involved in the investigation.
A DOJ spokesperson confirmed the operation, stating: “Today in the Washington, D.C. area, Homeland Security Investigations executed a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the Department of Justice.”
The spokesperson added: “This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation.”
Details later……….
Heavy rains have triggered severe flooding across parts of Bangkok, Thailand, forcing nearly 4,900 residents to evacuate to shelters as floodwaters swept through roads and residential areas.
The flooding has disrupted movement across parts of the Thai capital, with motorists and pedestrians forced to navigate submerged roads and seek alternative routes.
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According to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, about 52,000 households have been affected by the flooding, prompting authorities to declare a flood disaster and intensify emergency response efforts.
Emergency teams have been deployed to assist affected communities and move residents from vulnerable areas to safer locations as water levels rise.
Bangkok is accustomed to seasonal heavy rainfall, but intense downpours can overwhelm drainage systems, particularly in low-lying areas, resulting in widespread flooding and disruption.
Authorities are continuing to monitor affected locations while coordinating evacuations and other emergency measures.
For thousands of residents, the immediate priority remains securing safe shelter and protecting homes and livelihoods as authorities work to manage the situation and restore normal activities once the floodwaters recede.
US President Donald Trump has explained his decision to reject Iran’s latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying Tehran was seeking an agreement because it was losing revenue.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said Iran wanted to immediately reopen the strategically important waterway but argued that the proposal was not acceptable to his administration.
“They want to make a deal, and I think that’s fine. I like making a deal, too, but that deal would not be acceptable,” Trump said.
SEE ALSO: How the Strait of Hormuz Attack Could Trigger a Fresh Global Oil Shock
According to the US president, Iran’s push to reopen the strait was driven by the economic pressure it was facing.
“What they want to do is immediately open the Hormuz Strait. Do you know why? Because they are dying,” Trump said.
“You know why they’re dying? Because they have no money coming in, because they get their money from the Hormuz Strait.”
Trump also claimed that the US had established an unprecedented naval blockade against Iran, describing it as “a wall of steel.”
“So they outsmarted themselves. We put up the greatest blockade ever in military history. It’s a wall of steel,” he said.
“And guess what? They don’t have any money now because they wanted to close the strait.”
The Strait of Hormuz is a major global energy shipping route, and disruption to traffic through the waterway has significant implications for international oil markets and countries that depend on energy imports.
Trump’s remarks came amid continued tensions between Washington and Tehran over the reopening of the strategic waterway and negotiations involving Iran.
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