The wildfires sweeping across Europe feel deeply personal to Professor Marta Yebra, even though she now lives thousands of kilometres away. Born in Spain and now based in Canberra, the bushfire specialist has devoted much of her career to helping Australia – one of the most fire-exposed nations on Earth – better confront its own destructive blazes. She leads the Bushfire Research Centre of Excellence, created after Australia’s catastrophic 2019–20 Black Summer fires, which burned an area

Four days ago, Youssef El Abbas believed he had found a way to recover the life he had lost seven years earlier. Reports were spreading that roughly 400 people had swum from Morocco to the nearby Spanish enclave of Ceuta on the North African coast, about 12 miles (19km) across the Strait of Gibraltar from mainland Spain. For the 44-year-old Moroccan father of four, it seemed like an unexpected opportunity to return to Spain, the country he had been forced to leave in 2019 after losing his job

NATO fighter jets were dispatched after a Russian missile briefly entered Polish airspace before crashing. The projectile crossed into Poland early on Thursday during a large-scale overnight assault by Russia on Ukraine involving ballistic missiles and drones. The attack killed at least eight civilians, including children, and left more than 50 others injured. Fears are growing that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine could increasingly draw in neighbouring NATO members. Poland is among

In the 16th Century, a domestic servant named Elizabeth Barton rose to fame as a revered visionary – but when she challenged her king, she met a brutal fate. Was she a fraud, or a courageous heroine of Tudor England? In a quiet Kent village in 1525, Elizabeth Barton, then working as a household servant, was struck by a serious illness. During bouts of delirium, she reportedly recited passages of Scripture. Soon afterward, she began falling into trance-like seizures, delivering impassioned

BP has announced plans to sell its North Sea oil and gas operations, signalling the end of nearly 60 years of activity in the region. On Friday morning, the company confirmed it had begun a formal process to market its North Sea assets for a possible sale. The decision forms part of a broader strategy by BP’s new chief executive, Meg O’Neill, to streamline operations and reduce overall debt. O’Neill stated: “The North Sea continues to play a key role in the UK’s energy system. However, as we

The signs of climate change are evident in the extreme fire weather that fueled this week’s destructive wildfires in Spain and France, and have intensified Southern Europe’s fire seasons over the past eight years, according to two newly released studies. A rapid analysis published Thursday by scientists with World Weather Attribution found that human-driven climate change made the hot, dry conditions behind Spain’s record-breaking blaze 20 times more likely. In France, climate change doubled

When a lone worm was discovered deep within Earth’s crust, it set off an extraordinary chain of events that reshaped our understanding of how far life can extend beneath our feet. If you could bore through the soil below you and descend into the planet’s crust, discomfort would set in quickly. Sunlight would disappear, temperatures would rise, and pressure would steadily increase as you edged closer to the molten interior. Water trapped deep underground would seep through cracks in the rock. At

At first, Ukraine suggested purchasing Poland’s outdated MiG-29 fighter jets rather than exchanging them. Later, however, Kyiv proposed a different approach — swapping the aircraft for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This was stated by Poland’s Deputy Minister of Defense, Paulina Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, according to PAP. She explained that Ukraine has already submitted a detailed proposal outlining which UAVs it is prepared to supply to Warsaw in return for the jets. The Polish side is currently

Starting midweek, on July 30, a wave of heat will begin moving into Ukraine. Residents of the western regions will feel the rise in temperature first. Daytime highs there will range from +23° to +28°, while in Zakarpattia the air may warm up to +30°. Almost the entire country will enjoy dry and sunny weather. Only the northeastern areas are expected to see variable cloud cover with a chance of lingering showers. • In Kyiv, the weather will be clear today. Nighttime temperatures will drop to

Since 2013, the pedestal at the foot of Taras Shevchenko Boulevard in Kyiv has stood conspicuously bare. The worn structure is streaked with white paint and graffiti. A Ukrainian trident has been fixed in the spot where Lenin once towered, looking out over the city during the decades of Soviet rule. During the Maidan revolution, protesters brought the statue down and shattered it with sledgehammers, marking a decisive break with the pro-Russian leadership of the time. In June, President

Fast bowler Jayden Seales collected his fourth five-wicket haul as the West Indies secured a commanding 90-run win over Pakistan in the first Test at Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago. Holding a slim 29-run advantage after the first innings, the West Indies were dismissed for 181 in their second effort, setting Pakistan a target of 211 on Tuesday, the fourth day of the match. Match Summary Seales (5-20), supported by his fellow quicks, delivered an outstanding pace performance at the Brian Lara

Iran had been weighing the possibility of launching a missile strike on a Ukrainian seaport in response to a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea. However, intensive diplomatic efforts have so far helped to ease tensions and prevent further escalation. This was reported by The New York Times, citing statements from European and Iranian officials. "Some sources said they expected Iran to fire a ballistic missile with a small warhead at Ukraine as a symbolic move that

Sixty Palestinian detainees released by Israel arrived in Gaza in a visibly weakened state, reaching a hospital in Khan Younis exhausted, wounded and, in some instances, unable to stand on their own. On Monday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) transported the men to Nasser Medical Complex for medical checks, where families and healthcare workers gathered to welcome them back. Recommended Stories • list 1 of 3‘Back from the dead’: The continuing anguish over Gaza’s 9,500

Rampur, India – In the sweltering heat of July, more than 100 people sit cross-legged on woven mats, chanting slogans and waving the Indian flag in a small town in northern India. About 200km (132 miles) from New Delhi — where student-led protests over education reforms recently compelled a federal minister to resign — students, alumni and local residents have launched an indefinite sit-in. They are protesting a proposed plan to demolish 38 of the 40 buildings that make up Mohammad Ali Jauhar

BANTARGEBANG, Indonesia (AP) — Well before sunrise touches Indonesia’s largest landfill, Nur Wencih is already scaling heaps of refuse with thousands of other waste pickers, searching for items that can be sold. The 35-year-old widow has spent nearly 20 years working at the sprawling dump on Jakarta’s eastern fringe, following in the footsteps of her parents, who still depend on it for income. Earnings from Bantargebang have covered her rent and daily meals and helped support her two teenage

Renowned Russian singer Alla Pugacheva, who left the aggressor country at the beginning of the full-scale invasion together with her husband Maksim Galkin and their children and has openly distanced herself from the regime’s violent policies, has spoken about her health. It is known that the 77-year-old performer is currently staying in Latvia. Recently, social media users noticed that Alla Borisovna was walking with a cane. This sparked concern among her fans, who assumed that the singer might

Best known as the Royal Family’s summer retreat, Balmoral Castle ranks among Britain’s most celebrated royal residences. Yet far fewer people are aware that King Charles III is also closely connected to another extraordinary estate in the south of Scotland. Several hours south of Balmoral, close to the former mining town of Cumnock in a largely overlooked part of East Ayrshire, Dumfries House stands quietly within 2,000 acres of rolling countryside. Despite its imposing Palladian mansion,

I can’t recall a single summer that didn’t include at least one evening spent following hand-painted signs toward a local sagra. It isn’t exactly a food market, nor quite a village fair; it feels more like an entire community carrying its kitchen outdoors for a few warm nights. When I think about those childhood evenings, the first image that appears is a woman’s hand clenched above a pan of shimmering oil. With her thumb and forefinger forming a tight circle, she would press soft batter

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Text messages presented in court Friday between singer D4vd and Celeste Rivas Hernandez revealed that she became pregnant at 13 and underwent an abortion more than a year before her death. In an exchange from early January 2024, D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke, apologized for “putting her through this.” “It’s okay,” she replied in a message. “Neither of us can take care of a baby. It’s for the best, right?” He later apologized again and asked whether the pregnancy was

A Romanian fighter jet has downed a drone believed to be of Russian origin after it entered the country’s airspace. The episode on Friday was the first time Romania has intercepted an unauthorized aircraft since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, President Nicusor Dan said. The development has heightened concerns that the war in neighboring Ukraine could further spill into NATO territory. Romania is among several alliance members that have faced repeated drone intrusions in