Prosecutors examine arson link to France's worst wildfire in 50 years
Montpellier prosecutor's office said in a statement that, given the circumstances surrounding the outbreak of the fire, it may have been caused intentionally.
The statement, released on Wednesday, added that this must be confirmed 'by numerous additional investigations' without specifying how long they could take.
The blaze swept through the hills of the Corbières mountain range in the Aude department in just 48 hours. It took five days to bring under control.
One woman was killed, two other people were injured, and about 2,000 people were evacuated from 16 villages directly affected. The fire destroyed 36 houses, 21 farm buildings and burned 2,200 hectares of crops, including large numbers of vineyards.
An investigation was launched on 6 August, the day after the fire started on 5 August at 4.15pm along a departmental road in the town of Ribaute, halfway between Narbonne and Carcassonne.
Firefighters arrived within minutes, but high heat, dry air and strong winds made it impossible to stop the fire immediately.
Some 2,000 firefighters fought to contain the blaze by 10 August. Colonel Christophe Magny, head of the Aude fire and rescue service, said the rugged terrain of the Corbières means it will not be extinguished 'for several weeks'.
Hundreds of firefighters remain on site to monitor flare-ups – some using drones – and carry out clean-up operations.
Before this fire, by the end of July and midway through the summer season, France had recorded 15,000 hectares burned in 9,000 fires, mainly along the Mediterranean coast.
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CNN
24 minutes ago
- CNN
A car accident in small-town Tennessee leads to US charges against a major Mexican drug operation
The investigation began years ago after two drug dealers got into a car accident in a small Tennessee town. What followed was a series of secret wiretaps, a shootout with police and the discovery of drugs hidden in a tractor trailer that would eventually lead federal investigators back to cartel leaders in Mexico. The investigation culminated with Justice Department indictments unsealed Thursday against three leaders and two high-ranking enforcers of the United Cartels, a leading rival of Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The US government is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest of United Cartels' top leader, Juan José Farías Álvarez — 'El Abuelo,' or the grandfather — along with multimillion-dollar rewards for the four others. All five are believed to be in Mexico. The cases, as outlined in court documents, provide a glimpse into how drugs produced by violent cartels in large labs in Mexico flow across the US border and reach American streets. They also highlight the violent fallout that drug trafficking leaves in its path from the mountains of Mexico to small US towns. 'These cases in particular serve as a powerful reminder of the insidious impacts that global cartels can have on our local American communities,' Matthew Galeotti, acting assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department's criminal division said in an interview with The Associated Press. 'The chain started with a violent cartel in Mexico and it ended with law enforcement being shot at in a small town.' United Cartels is an umbrella organization made up of smaller cartels that have worked for different groups over time. It holds a fierce grip over the western state of Michoacan, Mexico. United Cartels is not as widely known as Jalisco New Generation, but given its role as a prolific methamphetamine producer, it has become a top tier target for U.S. law enforcement. It was one of eight groups recently named foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration. The case goes back to 2019, when two dealers got into a car accident in a small town outside Knoxville, Tennessee, according to a search warrant affidavit filed in court. While fleeing the scene of the crash, they threw a hardened protective case filled with meth behind a building before being caught by police, according to court documents. Authorities began investigating, using wiretaps, search warrants and surveillance to identify a man believed to be leading a major drug ring in the Atlanta area: Eladio Mendoza. The investigation into Mendoza's suspected drug operation led law enforcement in early 2020 to a hotel near Atlanta. During their surveillance, authorities spotted a man leaving with a large Doritos bag. Troopers tried to stop the man after he drove from Georgia into Tennessee but he fled and fired an AK-style rifle at officers, hitting one in the leg before another trooper shot him. Inside the bag, police found meth and heroin, and identified him as a low-level dealer for Mendoza's drug ring, court records say. Weeks later, authorities searched properties linked to Mendoza and seized phones. They discovered messages between Mendoza and a close associate of 'El Abuelo,' the leader of United Cartels, that showed the drugs were coming from Mexico, according to the court records. On one of Mendoza's properties, investigators found a tractor trailer that had crossed from Mexico days earlier. When they searched it, authorities seized 850 kilograms of meth hidden in the floor of the truck and discovered more drugs inside a bus and a home on the property, court papers say. 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Yahoo
2 hours ago
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'I'm 50 yards away from you': The evil stalker who couldn't handle being dumped
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CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
NCAA informs Michigan ruling on sign-stealing investigation will be released Friday
The NCAA has informed Michigan that the organization will announce the results of its sign-stealing investigation on Friday, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share the details. The NCAA alleged last year in a notice that current coach Sherrone Moore violated rules as an assistant under former coach Jim Harbaugh, who served a three-game suspension in exchange for the Big Ten dropping its investigation into the allegations after the two ended up in court. Moore also was accused of deleting text messages with sign-stealer Connor Stalions before they were recovered and provided to the NCAA. Moore has previously said he has and will continue to cooperate with the NCAA's investigation, but recently declined to say much about the issue looming over the college football program with the most victories. "Today, not tomorrow, that's all I'm worried about," he said on Monday. The NCAA investigation surfaced early in the 2023 season amid allegations that Michigan used a robust in-person scouting and sign-stealing operation conducted by Stalions, a former low-level staffer. He was suspended by the school and later resigned. Stalions, who did not participate in the NCAA investigation, recently said he knew almost every signal opponents used in seven games over two seasons. Michigan has been prepared to suspend Moore for two games during the coming season as part of self-imposed sanctions. The NCAA will announce soon whether that punishment is enough to address allegations that Moore failed to cooperate in an investigation. Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti sent a letter to the NCAA Committee on Infractions last month, suggesting that Michigan's football program should not face more sanctions related to the sign-stealing saga. After winning the 2023 national championship, Harbaugh left to coach the Los Angeles Chargers. The Wolverines open the season on Aug. 30 at home against New Mexico State and then play at Oklahoma, where Moore was an offensive lineman, on Sept. 6. Harbaugh was suspended by the Big Ten three weeks after an investigation by the NCAA into the allegations began. Hours later, Michigan asked a court for an injunction and temporary restraining order and the two sides narrowly avoided a court hearing. Harbaugh has repeatedly denied any involvement in Stalions' apparent scheme. The NCAA does not have rules against stealing signs, but does prohibit schools from sending scouts to the games of future opponents and using electronic equipment to record another team's signals. Multiple Big Ten schools had records showing ticket purchases under Stalions' name and video surveillance footage of people in those seats with cell phones pointed toward the field. Big Ten coaches and athletic directors previously pushed Petitti to punish Harbaugh before the NCAA concluded its investigation. When the Big Ten suspended Harbaugh, Michigan claimed the commissioner overstepped his authority and acted outside the conference's bylaws. Athletic director Warde Manuel released a scathing statement just before Michigan kicked off at Penn State and won 24-15 without Harbaugh on the sideline. The NCAA previously put Michigan on three years of probation, fined the school and implemented recruiting limits after reaching a negotiated resolution in a recruiting case and banned Harbaugh from coaching college football for four years.
