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India Today
13-08-2025
- Climate
- India Today
Wildfires sweep Southern Europe, kill at least three
Wildfires intensified across Southern Europe on Wednesday, prompting round-the-clock efforts to protect Greece's third-largest city, Patras and leaving at least three people dead in Spain, Turkey and the Greek port city of Patras, firefighters battled to save homes and farmland as flames ripped through pine forests and olive groves. Columns of fire rose behind apartment blocks, while dozens of vehicles were destroyed in a nearby impound is another very difficult day with the level of fire risk remaining very high across many parts of the country,' Fire Service spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakoyiannis said. He noted that at least 15 firefighters had been hospitalised or treated for burns, smoke inhalation or exhaustion. Residents joined the fight, using branches and buckets of water as planes and helicopters dropped water from RESOURCES AFTER WEEKS OF HEATWAVESMultiple blazes erupted across the Mediterranean after weeks of extreme heat. On the island of Chios, exhausted Greek firefighters were seen sleeping roadside after night-long shifts. Aircraft shuttled between fires in western Greece, Patras, and Zakynthos, while Athens sent crews to Albania as part of an international Albania, an 80-year-old man died south of Tirana. Four villages were evacuated near a former army ammunition depot, while explosions from buried World War II shells were reported in the Korca district near the Greek border. Authorities said dozens of homes had been AND TURKEY RECORD DEATHSIn Spain, a firefighting volunteer was killed in Castile and León, where thousands have been displaced. 'The wildfire situation remains serious, and taking extra precautions is essential,' Prime Minister Pedro Snchez posted online. Evacuation centers in central Spain overflowed, and high-speed rail services between Madrid and Galicia were suspended after flames reached nearby reported the death of a forestry worker in an accident involving a fire truck, which also injured four others. The country has battled severe wildfires since late June, with 18 fatalities so far, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers in HEAT AND SUSPECTED ARSONIn France, temperatures reached 42C (108F) for a third day, prompting officials to allow event cancellations and restrict access to high-risk areas. Across the region, causes of the fires have included careless farming practices, faulty power lines, lightning storms, and suspected North Macedonia, investigators linked a blaze outside Skopje to rogue developers. The EU has dispatched firefighting teams and aircraft to affected countries, including Montenegro, where wildfires continue to burn near Podgorica.'Natural disasters know no borders,' said Ljuban Tmusic, Montenegro's civil protection chief. 'In Montenegro, the resources we have ... are clearly not enough.'- EndsWith inputs from Associated PressMust Watch
India Today
12-08-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Will not leave Donbas: Zelenskyy rejects Putin's Donetsk demand in ceasefire deal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday dismissed a Russian proposal to hand over the remaining territory Ukraine controls in the Donetsk region in exchange for a ceasefire, saying it would only pave the way for future at a press briefing in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from the last 9,000 square kilometers of Donetsk still under Kyiv's control. This demand was conveyed to him by US officials ahead of a planned Friday summit between US President Donald Trump and wants us to leave Donbas. We will not leave Donbas. We cannot do this,' Zelenskyy said. 'Everyone forgets the first part our territories are illegally occupied.' According to Zelenskyy, the proposal was relayed during a call with Trump and special envoy Steve Witkoff after Witkoff's meeting with Putin. He stressed that while Russia's position was clear, 'it didn't sound like America wants us to leave.'The Ukrainian leader said discussions on ending the war have so far ignored two of Kyiv's key demands — binding security guarantees to deter future Russian aggression and the inclusion of European nations in negotiations. 'Donbas for the Russians is a springboard for a future new offensive,' Zelenskyy warned, drawing parallels with 2014, when Russia annexed Russian forces have been pressing closer to Pokrovsk, a city seen as a key prize in their push to secure the Donbas. The proposed deal, Zelenskyy said, would effectively hand Russia 'almost the entirety of the Donbas' Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland that Putin has long sought to remains unclear if Ukraine will attend the Trump-Putin summit. European Union leaders, sidelined from the meeting, appealed to Trump on Tuesday to protect their interests.- EndsWith inputs from Associated PressMust Watch
India Today
31-07-2025
- Climate
- India Today
Northeast braces for powerful storms with heavy rain, flash floods
Powerful storms are expected to sweep through the Northeast on Thursday, bringing the risk of dangerous flash flooding from northern Virginia to Connecticut, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).New Jersey Lt. Governor Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency, warning of the potential for flash floods due to fast-moving storms and already saturated ground. "Please take all necessary precautions," she wrote on predict the most intense weather will arrive later Thursday afternoon into the night, with heavy rainfall and severe thunderstorms likely along the Washington, DC–Philadelphia–New York City corridor. Southern areas in the zone could see rainfall rates as high as 2 inches (5 cm) per hour. Flash flood warnings were issued Thursday afternoon for parts of Pennsylvania's Berks, Lancaster, and York counties, as well as Baltimore and Hartford counties in Maryland. The NWS stated that flooding could affect creeks, streams, urban areas, highways, and low-lying and severe thunderstorm watches remain in effect across the region through late Thursday and into Friday. Rainfall totals may reach 4 to 6 inches (10–15 cm) in some locations. A severe thunderstorm warning was also issued for eastern Pennsylvania, where winds could hit 60 mph (97 kph) and hail the size of pennies was Governor Josh Shapiro said emergency teams are preparing for response and recovery as New York City, officials warned that heavy rains could flood streets, subways, and basements. Residents living in basement units were advised to relocate to higher floors, and all New Yorkers were urged to avoid travel from Thursday afternoon to Friday afternoon.- EndsWith inputs from Associated PressMust Watch
India Today
10-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Europe strikes deal to boost Gaza aid after Israeli airstrikes kill 15
European officials have struck a new deal with Israel to allow urgently needed food and fuel into Gaza, the European Union's foreign policy chief announced Thursday. The news came amid reports that an Israeli airstrike killed 10 children and five adults waiting for medical care outside a clinic in central announcement coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's departure from Washington, following meetings with US President Donald Trump. Despite the diplomatic efforts, no temporary ceasefire was finalised during the visit, though the White House continues to push for stated that Israel is pursuing a deal that would include a 60-day pause in fighting and the release of half the remaining 50 hostages believed to be held in Gaza. Many of the hostages are presumed dead. 'If this can be achieved through negotiations, so much the better,' Netanyahu said in a video statement. 'If it is not achieved through negotiations in 60 days, we will achieve it in other ways; by using force, the force of our heroic army.'Netanyahu added that a permanent end to the war would only be negotiated if Hamas disarms and relinquishes its governing and military control in the tensions, US officials remain cautiously optimistic. High-level negotiations, mediated by Egypt and Qatar and involving White House envoy Steve Witkoff, are continuing.'We're closer than we've been in quite a while, and we're hopeful, but we also recognise there are still challenges ahead,' US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a stop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.- EndsWith inputs from Associated PressMust Watch
India Today
04-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
US Independence Day: Anti-Trump protests expand across nation on July 4
As the United States marks its 249th Independence Day, national pride appears to be wavering, especially among Democrats during the Trump era. While some Americans are reconsidering how—or whether—to celebrate the Fourth of July, others are continuing their traditions with patriotic several communities across southern California, Independence Day festivities have been scaled back or cancelled amid fears stemming from federal immigration enforcement. The Los Angeles neighbourhood of El Sereno cancelled its parade after 90% of participants withdrew, citing safety Guerrero, one of the organisers, said fear of being targeted based on ethnicity discouraged attendance. 'People are patriotic, but they're afraid,' she said. Other local events, including a downtown block party and celebrations in Bell Gardens, were also PLANNED NATIONWIDE While some cities cancelled events, others have turned July Fourth into a day of protest. Demonstrations against President Trump's policies—especially cuts to Medicaid are taking place across the country. Women's March managing director Tamika Middleton said this year's events range from potlucks to large city rallies.A protest is planned at a naturalization ceremony in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to show solidarity with new citizens. Meanwhile, a major demonstration is scheduled outside Houston's City Hall. 'We're inviting folks to imagine what true freedom looks like,' Middleton fireworks will still light up skies this year, rising tariffs have put the industry on edge. Most fireworks in the U.S. are imported from China. With tariffs on Chinese fireworks currently at 30%, and having peaked at 145% earlier this year, retailers worry about 2026 celebrations.'This year is manageable,' said Julie Heckman of the American Pyrotechnics Association, 'but the 250th anniversary could be at risk.'- EndsWith inputs from Associated PressMust Watch
