Author: staff
Heavy rain triggered a major flash flood around Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel Canyon in Grand Canyon National Park on 29 August, sending water and debris into the Colorado River. Footbridges across Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, while large rocks, mud and damaged structures were swept downstream. Visitors to the areas were evacuated by helicopters, with 62 people taken from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail the following morning. The National Park Service is also seeking information about more than 20 people who may be missing or unaccounted for. Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground and the North Kaibab…
A fire broke out shortly after midnight at the plant and was extinguished within about two hours, thanks to rapid action by an employee and the fire service. No one was hurt, according to WB Electronics, but one small facility was damaged. The incident comes amid a range of suspected attacks targeting critical infrastructure linked to European military support for Ukraine, which Western authorities have increasingly attributed to Russia. Earlier this month, a drone carrying explosives was found near a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport, a hub for military supplies to Ukraine. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected to…
Published on 31/08/2026 – 18:52 GMT+2 Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has said the European Union is facing a leadership crisis and needs to make crucial decisions about its future not only to survive, but to win. Magyar made the remarks at the Bled Strategic Forum, where he spoke alongside Slovenia’s Janez Janša, Croatia’s Andrej Plenković and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš about regional cooperation and competitiveness. “There is a lack of political leadership, to be honest, in the European Union,” Magyar said, pointing to the EU’s bureaucracy, which he said stifled action. “I was told by a member of…
The annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit is gathering a diverse group of world leaders from 21 countries in Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek, as they pursue new alliances, ambitions and opportunities with the rise of regional powers in the rapidly evolving multipolar Eurasia. The two-day summit kicked off on Monday, focusing on political, economic and security engagements and cooperation, a long-promised development bank, connectivity, energy and trade routes strained by wars and conflicts, and the defining challenges of the Global South. The SCO’s 10 members — China, India, Pakistan, Russia, Belarus, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan — speak for more than…
Von der Leyen’s participation in the event has not been previously reported. The Commission president’s focus on space reflects mounting concern over Russian hybrid actions that appear to be taking aim at Europe’s reliance on satellites for everything from military communications to civilian navigation. GPS jamming and spoofing, for example, have surged recently around the Baltic Sea, disrupting thousands of flights, according to Sweden’s public broadcaster SVT. Von der Leyen herself got a taste of the potential risks last year when the private jet she was taking to Bulgaria experienced GPS interference. The space policy address also comes as von…
Prosecutors in Poland have launched a terrorism investigation into a fire at a drone factory in the city of Skarżysko-Kamienna. In a statement, prosecutors said the fire, which broke out at a WB Electronics factory, was started deliberately “by planting an explosive device containing flammable materials.” CCTV footage had reportedly captured an unidentified person in a balaclava who allegedly entered the premises after climbing a fence. A backpack and a sweatshirt were also found near the site. WB Electronics is the largest private arms company in Poland. Its reconnaissance and attack drones are used by the Ukrainian armed forces. Prosecutors…
Published on 31/08/2026 – 18:17 GMT+2 Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune is seeking to reinstate the death penalty for arsonists following deadly wildfires that have ravaged parts of the country. Tebboune declared three days of national mourning on Thursday after wildfires in the northeast of the country killed at least 12 people and injured dozens more. In a statement, Tebboune described the loss of life as “a great tragedy,” as officials maintained the official death toll from Wednesday. Algeria has observed a moratorium on the death penalty since 1993, but the Algerian head of state has ordered that “an amendment to…
Published on 31/08/2026 – 15:48 GMT+2 Dolly Parton may have taken her final bow, but that doesn’t mean we won’t get an encore… We just have to wait 20 years. The legend has left an indelible mark on the world thanks to her music, her acting and her philanthropic work. While heartbroken fans are mourning her death, they can still look forward to hearing new music from the Queen of Country, as Parton has left them a surprise: a secret song. Years before her death, she recorded a track titled ‘My Place in History’, and then sealed it inside a…
Aidé par les bons sondages, le chef de Place publique a endossé les habits inconfortables de favori de la primaire qu’organisent son parti et le PS. Raphaël Glucksmann peut-il s’imposer face à ses adversaires, parmi Olivier Faure ? Affaibli mais habile manœuvrier, le premier secrétaire ne compte pas jouer les figurants. Anthony Lattier en discute avec Marcelo Wesfreid, directeur adjoint de la rédaction de POLITICO.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that the European Union must adapt its civil protection systems to a world of increasingly frequent, simultaneous and severe emergencies, as an exceptionally early wildfire season placed national firefighting services under growing pressure. “We must be prepared for a world where extreme events happen more often, in more places, and at the same time,” von der Leyen told reporters on Monday from the European Emergency Response Centre, a unit from the Commission’s civil protection department. The Commission chief acknowledged that disasters are changing in nature as climate change is making extreme weather…