SAUMOS, France, July 23 (Reuters) – More than 10,000 people were evacuated overnight in southwestern France as a rapidly spreading wildfire scorched through 2,000 hectares of land west of the city of Bordeaux, officials said on Thursday. Wildfires have burnt more land in Europe already this year than the annual average in the past two…
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Firefighters in central Spain on Wednesday battled a wildfire that has burned over 32,000 hectares (79,000 acres) in one of the largest blazes on record for the southern European country. The fire in rural Guadalajara comes less than two weeks after a deadly blaze devastated a small expat community in southern…
MANILA, July 22 (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he discussed with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday the need to identify areas of cooperation to lay the groundwork for a “very positive visit” to Washington in September by President Xi Jinping. Meeting with Wang in Manila on the sidelines of…
MANILA, July 22 (Reuters) – Australia’s foreign minister said on Wednesday that Asian countries face a choice in how they respond to instances of aggressive conduct in the South China Sea that were of concern to Canberra. A recent encounter in the South China Sea between China and the Philippines was a real concern, in addition…
Ukraine has made significant progress in the war this year, and a rift between the country’s outgoing army chief and its defense minister threatened to derail its efforts. Both men lost their jobs following Zelenskyy’s major government reshuffle last week. The top-level changes late Tuesday were intended to draw a line under an unwelcome spasm…
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Wednesday that Iran’s demand to control and collect tolls in the Strait of Hormuz would threaten the world’s economy and the principle of freedom of navigation, even in Asia. Rubio spoke at the start of an annual meeting in the Philippine capital, Manila, with…
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday fired Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces following days of mass protests in Kyiv and other cities nationwide demanding his removal. Zelenskyy appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new army chief, according to a statement on social media. “Our shared wish is one —…
BEIJING, July 21 (Reuters) – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a delegation of European lawmakers in Beijing on Tuesday that China and the EU should promote an “upward dynamic balance” in bilateral trade ties from a long-term perspective, according to a statement from China’s foreign ministry. • “China and Europe are partners rather than…
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Rescue crews in Afghanistan searched Tuesday for survivors and bodies among the rubble of houses destroyed by devastating flash floods that authorities say have killed nearly two dozen people and left more than 100 people missing. The Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority said Tuesday that 23 people had died, 80 had…
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran attacked a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz early Tuesday, forcing its crew to abandon the ship, while the United States conducted yet another round of airstrikes targeting the Islamic Republic as they struggle over control of the key waterway. The 10 consecutive nights of U.S. airstrikes haven’t…