Wildfire in Almeria Province Kills at Least 12, Leaves 23 Missing. At least 12 people have died and 23 remain missing after a wildfire erupted in Almeria province, Spain, on Thursday, with authorities confirming four of the victims were British nationals. Emergency services have deployed hundreds of firefighters to contain the blaze near the village of Bedar, where the fire spread rapidly under temperatures near 40°C and strong winds. The fire is one of the deadliest in recent Spanish history, joining a 1984 blaze on La Gomera that killed 20 and a 1979 fire near Lloret de Mar that claimed 21 lives, including nine children. A sustained heatwave across southern Europe, with temperatures around 40°C and dry ground, has sparked multiple wildfires in France, Portugal and Spain this summer. The Copernicus climate service notes that Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average, contributing to more frequent and intense fire events. The cause of the Bedar fire was attributed to a fallen power line, though the local electricity provider has denied responsibility. Witnesses described thick smoke resembling a mushroom cloud as they fled the area on foot when roads were cut off. Officials in Bedar said some of those who died may not have taken recommended evacuation routes, but it is unclear how clearly the guidance was communicated. The Spanish government and the British Foreign Office have not released the identities of the deceased. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said consular services were attempting to locate Belgians with homes in the region. AEMET forecast more favorable conditions, with moderated winds and cooler air expected by Saturday. With at least 12 confirmed dead, the incident ranks among Spain’s most severe wildfires, and officials cautioned that the final death toll could rise. Ongoing investigations aim to determine the precise sequence of events and the effectiveness of evacuation efforts.
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Sudanese university students displaced by war are residing in the Korsi refugee camp in the Central African Republic, where they are attempting to resume their studies after years of interruption, according to Al Jazeera.
The war that erupted in Sudan has displaced millions, leaving many students without regular schooling or access to nationally recognized examinations for more than three years. In areas under the control of the Rapid Support Forces, education has largely ceased, while regions held by the Sudanese army have seen a limited return to classrooms, creating disparities in educational access.
Students such as pharmacy student Islam Ibrahim, sociology student Gamar el‑Shaikh, and law student Ahmed have reported difficulties including language barriers, financial hardship, and emotional stress. Ibrahim, who fled after her father was killed, now volunteers to help newly arrived women and girls, saying she wishes to return to Sudan to continue her education rather than to settle family inheritance matters. El‑Shaikh noted that studying in French after years in Arabic, combined with the psychological toll of displacement, makes completing a degree feel impossible. Issa described his family’s flight after his father, an imam, was targeted by the RSF, and said his prospects for returning home are dim. Intisar el‑Sadig, a mother of a young child, left her three‑year‑old son in the camp to enroll at the University of Bangui, stating that stopping her studies would jeopardize her family’s future. Ahmed, whose father, a army officer, was killed and whose mother was injured during an assault, said his ambitions have narrowed to survival.
Across the camp, students continue to pursue education despite uncertain prospects, and Ahmed told Al Jazeera, "We are the lost generation of Sudan. We lost everything in this war," underscoring the uncertainty that continues to affect the students' futures.
KYIV, Ukraine — U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday at a NATO summit in Ankara that the United States will grant Ukraine a license to produce Patriot air‑defense systems, a step that could expand Ukraine’s domestic weapons capacity but is expected to take years to realize.
Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian and U.S. diplomats and defense officials must now work to finalize the licensing arrangements. The license would not automatically allow the manufacture of complete Patriot batteries, which include launchers, radars, command posts and missiles, but could cover specific components such as interceptor missiles or final assembly of imported kits.
Serhii Beskrestnov, adviser to Ukraine’s defense minister, said a U.S. license would typically provide technical documentation, specialist training and supplier contacts to help launch manufacturing.
Anatolii Khrapchynskyi, development director of Fly Group Ukraine, said Trump’s wording was ambiguous because it referred broadly to producing “Patriots” without specifying missiles, launchers, radars or other parts. He noted that missile production requires a extensive supply chain involving hundreds of companies that make control surfaces, engines, guidance systems and communications equipment.
Yehor Chernev, deputy chairman of Ukraine’s parliamentary committee on national security, defense and intelligence, estimated that legal and bureaucratic steps could be launched within months, but that establishing a pilot production line would likely require 18 to 24 months before the first weapons are produced. He added that producing a PAC‑3 missile in the United States takes about 24 months, and its solid‑fuel rocket motor about 30 months, with sensitive components such as the active radar seeker likely remaining under U.S. control.
Dr. Thomas Withington, an analyst at the Royal United Services Institute, said that while Ukraine’s defense industry could assist, the country would still need time to set up facilities, train workers and secure supply chains, and that the capability would not address immediate air‑defence threats.
Examples of licensed production abroad show the process can be slow. Japan has produced Patriot missiles under a license with Lockheed Martin for decades, and Germany began producing Patriot GEM‑T missiles in 2022 after a joint venture between Raytheon and MBDA Deutschland, with a new facility expected to support European stocks and potentially Ukraine. In both cases, facilities were protected from enemy attack.
Any facility assisting Ukraine would be a high‑value target for Russian forces, according to Khrapchynskyi, meaning production would need to be located in protected or underground sites. Officials said the arrangement would lay a foundation for Ukraine to become a long‑term producer of air‑defence systems, but it would not solve current missile shortages in the near term.
Cuba experienced its second island‑wide power outage in less than a week, with the blackout beginning at 4:30pm local time on Friday, according to the state‑run Union Electrica de Cuba. The outage follows a similar incident on Monday and brings the total number of island‑wide outages this year to four, after two additional blackouts in March. The nation’s electricity grid, much of which dates to the 1960‑1980 period, has faced increased strain since January, when the United States restricted oil supplies to Cuba. The restriction stems from a January executive order that labeled Cuba an “unusual and extraordinary threat” and threatened tariffs on countries providing fuel; since then, only one Russian oil tanker has reached Cuban ports. Cuba produces roughly 40% of its oil consumption, with the remainder imported. The government has accelerated a transition to renewable energy, receiving solar technology from China, but renewables accounted for about 18% of total energy use in 2022 and are targeted to reach nearly 25% by 2030. United Nations high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk said that the fuel restrictions and tightened sanctions have contributed to a near doubling of infant mortality in recent months, citing reduced access to medical supplies. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Al Jazeera in March that the blackouts are attributable to Cuban governmental mismanagement. The episode underscores ongoing challenges to Cuba’s energy security and the humanitarian impact of the prolonged trade embargo.
Police arrested a 26-year-old man in Newton Abbot on Friday on suspicion of murdering former Conservative minister Ann Widdecombe, who was found dead at her home in southwest England after sustaining serious injuries. Police said there was no indication that the killing was linked to terrorism or had a political motive, and forensic examinations at the property were ongoing. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said she dedicated many years to public service. Former Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said she played a role in delivering Brexit. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson said she was a respected speaker who could move audiences. Widdecombe served as a junior minister under John Major from 1992 to 1997 and later as an immigration and justice spokesperson for Reform UK. She was known for socially conservative positions, including opposition to abortion and equalising the age of consent, and for advocating a policy that shackled pregnant prisoners during childbirth.
US officials have asked Iran to issue a public statement confirming that the Strait of Hormuz is open for navigation and to pledge to cease firing on commercial vessels ahead of...
US officials have asked Iran to issue a public statement confirming that the Strait of Hormuz is open for navigation and to pledge to cease firing on commercial vessels ahead of talks in Oman on Saturday.
The United States and Iran signed a ceasefire agreement in June, under which Iran agreed to allow safe passage for commercial ships. Recent incidents in which ships were struck in the Strait have raised concerns about the durability of the arrangement.
Senior US officials told CBS News and Reuters that Iran had privately told President Donald Trump’s advisers that the ship‑firing incidents were a mistake and that blame should be placed on a hardline faction within Iran. The officials said they have conveyed a message to Tehran’s leadership, demanding a public declaration and a halt to attacks, warning that failure to comply could lead to a negative outcome for Iran.
Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to lead the Saturday negotiations, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi also attending. A Qatari delegation arrived in Iran on Friday to help defuse tensions and improve navigation through the Strait.
President Trump said on Truth Social that Iran had requested to continue talks, but the United States said the ceasefire was effectively ended and warned that any assassination attempt against him would be answered with the destruction of Iranian areas.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Israeli intelligence had shared information indicating Iran had developed a plan to assassinate President Trump. Iranian President Khamenei, who died after an Israeli strike on his residence on 28 February, was the first Iranian leader killed in the conflict with the United States and Israel.
No new attacks were reported after the latest exchange of fire earlier this week, which officials said was the most intense since the June interim deal. Three commercial ships were hit while transiting a US‑recommended route through Omani waters; Iran claims the only safe passage is through its own waters.
The 14‑point memorandum of understanding signed last month calls for Iran and Oman to negotiate the future administration and maritime services of the Strait, potentially including service fees, and for Iran to manage the Strait in coordination with Oman.
US President Donald Trump announced on July 9 that he will approve a license allowing Ukraine to produce its own Patriot missile interceptors, a decision that could take years to implement. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that the country is running low on Patriot interceptors, limiting its ability to defend against Russian ballistic missiles. An overnight attack on July 6, in which 23 missiles were launched, resulted in at least 22 deaths in Kyiv. Trump made the announcement on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, saying the license would give Ukraine the capacity to manufacture Patriots and that the process is subject to export controls. According to Timur Kadyshev, senior researcher at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg, the administrative review could take six months to a year before Lockheed Martin can issue the license. Kadyshev added that the agreement will specify whether Ukraine produces the older PAC‑2 or the newer PAC‑3 interceptors, with PAC‑3 capable of intercepting ballistic missiles at a 30‑50% success rate, compared with less than 10% for PAC‑2. Building a production facility in Ukraine will require construction, dispersal of manufacturing to reduce vulnerability, and contracts with subcontractors for components such as seekers, which experts say are currently in limited supply. Justin Bronk, an airpower specialist at the Royal United States Institute, said European nations have already purchased or placed orders for new Patriots to replace those supplied to Ukraine, and Germany has invested several billion dollars in domestic production. South Korea and Japan also face ballistic‑missile threats and are seeking similar capabilities. Huseyn Aliyev, an expert on the war in Ukraine at the University of Glasgow, said the shortage forces Ukraine to rely on less capable defenses for drones and cruise missiles while awaiting Patriot replacements. Kadyshev noted that developing domestic production would serve as a long‑term investment and could provide Ukraine with a dissuasive force against further Russian attacks, but that Ukraine is unlikely to deliver its first interceptor before several years. Until the licensing and production process is completed, Ukraine must continue to endure Russian missile strikes, with analysts suggesting that intensified attacks on Russian launch sites may be the only immediate defensive measure.
U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran on Saturday that missiles are locked and loaded against the Islamic Republic following the funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Dubai. The statement followed U.S. demands that Iran issue a public declaration that the Strait of Hormuz will stay open and that ships will not be attacked, a request Tehran has not fulfilled.
The funeral, which included mourners displaying posters calling for the deaths of Khamenei and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, highlighted ongoing hostility in the region. The United States has conducted a series of airstrikes targeting Iranian sites, while Iran has responded with attacks on regional nations and on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, where it seeks exclusive control and fees for vessels.
Trump posted on his Truth Social account that thousands of additional missiles would be launched if the Iranian government acted on its threats, describing the warning as a response to alleged assassination threats against him.
Senior U.S. officials, speaking anonymously, said they had demanded that Iran issue the Strait of Hormuz statement and warned that continued attacks could provoke further U.S. strikes. They added that the president has set a limited timeframe for negotiations but retains multiple options if talks fail.
Iran maintains that the Strait of Hormuz is under its sole control and that vessels must pay fees, rejecting the longstanding status of the waterway as international. Iranian officials have said the theocracy remains unified under the new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.
Qatari mediators met with Iranian officials on Friday, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he will discuss the strait with his Omani counterpart in Oman on Saturday. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said a solution could be reached this weekend.
U.S. officials also said any agreement on Iran’s nuclear program would require Tehran to relinquish its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, a demand Iran has repeatedly refused. They added that military options remain available to ensure the material stays underground if a deal is not reached, and that the United States will not pursue a nuclear agreement unless Iran halts attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States carried out airstrikes on Thursday, prompting Iran to target Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar in retaliation; Israel did not claim responsibility for the attacks, suggesting other regional actors may have been involved.
Tehran’s representative at the United Nations told reporters that all activity in the Strait of Hormuz, including opening or demining operations, rests exclusively with Iran.
About a fifth of global oil and natural gas passes through the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran’s control during the conflict contributed to a temporary energy crisis; oil prices have since fallen from peaks of $120 per barrel.
The situation remains unresolved as diplomatic channels attempt to de‑escalate while both sides continue to issue warnings about potential military action.
A wildfire swept through a remote expatriate community in Almeria province, southern Spain, on Thursday night, killing at least 12 people and leaving 23 missing, with eight injured, according to regional authorities.
The fire erupted in a semi‑arid area near the Sierra de Los Filabres mountains, part of a series of heat‑driven wildfires that have strained Spain’s firefighting resources.
Emergency services reported that most of the fatalities ignored shelter‑in‑place orders. Antonio Sanz, head of Andalusia’s emergency services, said many victims attempted to flee by car or on foot, with some using a dry riverbed that became a trap. Four of the victims were believed to be British based on the right‑hand drive of a burned vehicle. The death toll could rise.
The blaze covered more than 3,200 hectares (7,900 acres) and required about 150 firefighters and 220 soldiers from Spain’s military emergency unit. The steep, dry terrain complicated containment.
Andalusian regional leader Juan Manuel Moreno said the terrain and extreme dryness made the fire especially difficult to control. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed condolences on social media. Resident Dean Taylor recounted escaping via back roads, describing the event as terrifying.
Background: Spain has experienced frequent severe heat waves, with temperatures exceeding 40 °C. The June 2025 heat wave was linked to nearly 1,000 excess deaths. In June 2026, France faced its third heat wave of the summer, with high wildfire risk and evacuations of over 10,000 people in the eastern Pyrenees. Spain’s previous deadliest fire occurred in 1979, when 21 people died in Lloret de Mar. The 2017 Portugal wildfire killed 66 people.
The fire remained active into Friday afternoon, and officials said the death toll was expected to increase as searches continued.
Nicaragua’s Supreme Court has revoked the legal licenses of hundreds of lawyers, effectively barring them from practicing law in the country.
The removals occurred without public notification from the government, according to Reed Brody, a United Nations expert on Central America.
Since the violent suppression of mass protests in 2018, the Ortega‑Murillo administration has imprisoned opponents, closed thousands of non‑governmental organizations, and stripped many citizens of nationality and property.
Brody said the latest action follows a pattern of targeting institutions that could challenge the government, including NGOs, universities, independent media, religious groups and now the legal profession, aiming to limit independent oversight of state activities.
Juan Diego Barberena, a lawyer who has been living in exile in Costa Rica since 2022, reported that his name and licence number disappeared from the official registry, and he knows of at least 25 colleagues who experienced the same removal.
He added that the measure enables the government to decide which individuals may practice law, while Brody noted that the full scope of the licences revoked remains unclear but appears to involve several hundred attorneys.
The government has not responded to inquiries for comment, and the action underscores the continued erosion of judicial independence in Nicaragua.
King Charles III hosted Prince Harry and his family at Highgrove House on Friday, the first meeting in years as they seek to mend a rift that began when Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2018. The gathering included King Charles, Queen Camilla, and their children, Prince Archie (7) and Princess Lilibet (5). Buckingham Palace confirmed the meeting took place at the king’s country estate west of London. Harry arrived in the United Kingdom on Monday for a series of charity engagements. Earlier in the week, palace officials invited Harry to stay at Buckingham Palace but withdrew the invitation after he did not respond promptly. The monarch’s schedule is set years in advance, and the timing aligned with the children’s school calendar. The Duke of Sussex has said he wants to reconcile with his father, who is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer. He previously met Charles for tea in September during a brief London visit, the first time they had seen each other in over a year. Harry’s children have met the monarch before at the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 and may now have the opportunity for a more formal meeting, though the event was private and no images were released. Harry’s legal disputes have contributed to family tension. He lost his final lawsuit against the Daily Mail, with a judge ruling he had not proven a privacy invasion claim. In a 2023 memoir titled “Spare,” Harry described alleged tensions within the royal family, including accusations that Camilla shared private conversations to improve her public image. He also suggested that the royal institution may have limited his police protection in retaliation for his decision to step back from royal duties. In an interview with the BBC, Harry said he hopes to rebuild family ties and expressed uncertainty about his father’s remaining time. The meeting represents a step toward healing the family rift, though no further public engagements have been announced.
President Donald Trump said on July 8 that the United States would destroy Iran if it attempted to assassinate him, adding that military orders were in place for a possible year‑long operation. The remark followed reports that U.S. intelligence shared specific information with Israel about an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate Trump, and after Iran held a public funeral for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, which had heightened fears of renewed conflict. Qatari officials traveled to Iran to meet with Iranian representatives in an effort to de‑escalate tensions and prepare for broader negotiations, a source told Reuters, with U.S. involvement. Trump posted the statement on his Truth Social account, saying the United States was ready, willing, and able to carry out sustained military action against Iran for up to one year, extendable if necessary. He emphasized that the orders had already been given. No immediate response was issued by Iranian officials, and state media did not comment on the threat. Yesterday, U.S. media reported that American and Israeli intelligence agencies had disclosed a new and specific plan by Iran to target Trump, according to the reports. The situation remains tense, with diplomatic channels open but no clear resolution in sight.
The government of Venezuela reported that the death toll from twin earthquakes on June 24 rose above 4,000, with more than 16,000 people injured and thousands missing.
The 7.5‑magnitude quake, the strongest in the country in over a century, struck 39 seconds after a 7.2‑magnitude shock, causing the collapse of multiple high‑rise buildings in La Guaira.
A 3.0‑magnitude tremor in Caracas on Friday triggered panic and building evacuations.
Rescue operations were suspended, but families continued to search the debris for victims.
The United Nations announced an appeal for nearly $300 million to assist 1.3 million people requiring urgent aid.
The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction estimated total physical damage at $37 billion.
Interim President Delcy Rodríguez called for the release of frozen assets abroad, including about 30 tons of Venezuelan gold held under UK sanctions, to support recovery.
She defended the government’s emergency response and said the country would avoid social unrest.
Critics expressed anger over the perceived delay in international assistance.
The recovery effort faces a substantial challenge given the country’s prolonged economic crisis and the scale of destruction.
Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon fell to its lowest level in a decade during the first half of 2026, according to data from the National Institute for Space Research.
From January to June, 1,295 square kilometres of forest were cleared, a 38 percent decrease from the same period in 2025 and the smallest annual decrease since 2016.
The decline follows a steep drop in 2022 after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva began his fourth term, when he pledged to end illegal deforestation by 2030.
Deforestation had reached a peak in 2022 under his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, when approximately 13 times the area of New York City was cleared.
Lula's government has increased penalties for environmental crimes and revived an anti‑deforestation action plan, steps researchers say have contributed to the reduction.
Critics have said the government's approval of expanded oil exploration near the mouth of the Amazon River raises environmental concerns.
In June, U.S. officials cited illegal deforestation as a justification for new tariffs on Brazilian goods, while Lula's administration noted that the recent data undermined those arguments.
Lula stated that the reduction reflects a decision of his government, not of international bodies such as the United Nations or the Conference of Parties.
The Amazon absorbs large amounts of carbon and its preservation is linked to global climate regulation, a relationship that scientists and environmental groups monitor closely.
Lula is campaigning for re‑election and is expected to face Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, Bolsonaro's eldest son, in the October presidential race.
Dozens of schoolchildren and teachers were rescued in Oyo state after being held for 56 days following a May abduction from three schools. President Bola Tinubu said the rescue brought relief to the families and thanked security agencies. Bayo Onanuga, the presidential spokesperson, announced on X that all the abducted pupils and teachers had been rescued. Eight suspects were arrested and an unknown number were killed, according to Tinubu. The government attributes the kidnappings to Boko Haram, a group that has carried out attacks in the northeast. More than 30 individuals remain missing. The kidnappings, which have become frequent in Nigeria, involve demands for ransom; SBM Intelligence reported that ransom payments exceeded $1.6 million in 2024. Defence Minister Christopher Musa said the captors intended to use the hostages to pressure the government into releasing imprisoned commanders. The method of the rescue has not been disclosed.
Spain defeated Belgium 2-1 in a World Cup quarter‑final played in Los Angeles on Friday, securing a place in the semi‑final against France. The match began with Spain controlling possession and taking an early lead when Fabian Ruiz scored in the 30th minute. Belgium responded with a header by Charles De Ketelaere in the 41st minute, leveling the score at 1-1. Spain restored the lead in the 88th minute when Mikel Merino finished a rebound after a save by Belgium’s substitute goalkeeper Lammens. Belgium entered the game missing captain Youri Tielemans, who suffered a hamstring injury in warm‑ups, and defender Amadou Onana, who had a ruptured ACL. Spain made a substitution after the first half, bringing on Lamine Yamal, while Belgium introduced Romelu Lukaku at the start of the second half. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was forced off after 70 minutes due to an injury and was replaced by 24‑year‑old Manchester United keeper Lammens, making his World Cup debut. Spain maintained pressure after the break, creating several chances, including a shot by Mikel Oyarzabal that was saved. Belgian coach Rudi Garcia substituted on Romelu Lukaku, who had scored in his previous three appearances. The match concluded with Spain advancing to face France in the semi‑final, a contest that will determine which team reaches the tournament final.