Pete and Fran Gillam have been confirmed as two of the victims of wildfires in Spain that have killed 13 people. The couple lived in Bédar, the village hit hardest by the fires on Thursday, and are believed to have died after failing to escape. Authorities are urgently seeking DNA samples to identify victims who could not get away from the blaze. A local government leader said the area was in “a state of climate chaos” as the identification effort continued.

Spain wildfiresvictim identificationDNA identificationclimate crisis

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited one of the scenes of Spain’s deadliest wildfires in recent history. The fires have killed 13 people and destroyed a vast area in the southeastern province of Almeria. A British woman who suffered injuries in the fires was confirmed dead on Sunday night. She was one of eight people hospitalized, four of whom were seriously injured. Some families of the victims say authorities never issued them an evacuation order.

Spain wildfiresAlmeriaforeign victimsevacuation warnings

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says stronger prevention measures are needed as wildfires become increasingly common. One of the deadliest fires in Spain’s recent history has killed 13 people and devastated a vast area. Sanchez visited the affected site to meet emergency services working to bring the blaze under control. The call came while crews continued their efforts to extinguish the fire and deal with its aftermath.

Spainwildfiresdisaster prevention

A fast-moving wildfire is continuing to burn through France’s Fontainebleau forest, about 60 kilometres southeast of Paris. Authorities estimate that roughly 1,000 hectares have been destroyed so far. France 24 senior reporter Catherine Norris Trent witnessed the damage caused by the fires. She also saw the ongoing efforts to contain and extinguish the blazes.

FrancewildfireFontainebleau forest

Horses were evacuated from a riding centre near Paris as a wildfire moved closer. Officials described the blaze in the Fontainebleau forest as being of an “exceptional scale”. The fire has continued to rage into its second day. Efforts are continuing as the large forest blaze remains active near the riding facility.

Francewildfireevacuation

A wildfire in the Fontainebleau forest south of Paris has burned nearly 1,000 hectares since July 12, an area larger than Gibraltar. Hundreds of people from nearby towns have been evacuated as the blaze spreads. Authorities are investigating whether it may have been deliberately started. FRANCE 24 spoke with one evacuated resident, who described the fire as “a monster.”

Fontainebleau forestwildfireevacuationssuspected arson

France is struggling to contain what it calls an “exceptionally large wildfire” in the Fontainebleau forest south of Paris. Aircraft are operating overhead while firefighters work on the ground to suppress the flames. Authorities say the blaze has destroyed 5% of the forest. The fire is also suspected of having been deliberately started, as France continues its response.

FranceFontainebleau Forestwildfiresuspected arson

A wildfire has swept through 800 hectares of the Fontainebleau Forest southeast of Paris. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said during a visit to the scene on Monday that the blaze “could have been intentionally set.” The fire has engulfed part of the iconic forest south of the French capital. His remark raises the possibility that the destruction was caused deliberately, rather than solely by accidental or natural ignition.

FontainebleauwildfireFrance

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez says authorities are examining whether the fire in the Fontainebleau forest, south of Paris, was intentionally started. The investigation comes as France faces its third heatwave in under three months. Fires have been burning in several parts of the country over the past week. France 24 reporter Elitsa Gadeva provides a report from Fontainebleau.

Fontainebleau forestwildfirearson probeheatwave

The so-called coalition of the willing is meeting in Paris without the United States, after last week’s NATO summit put the alliance through what was described as an emotional rollercoaster under Donald Trump. The gathering takes place on the eve of the traditional Bastille Day military parade along the Champs-Elysées. Germany, Ukraine, the UK, Sweden and Greece are due to contribute aircraft to the flyover. Beyond the ceremony and photo opportunities, the summit confronts the practical question of doing more without Washington’s military and financial power.

coalition of the willingUkraineParis summitNATO

A US judge has voided Donald Trump’s $1.8bn settlement with the Internal Revenue Service. The agreement had provided him with immunity from tax audits. The judge said the lawsuit had been brought for “improper purposes”. A Trump attorney was also referred for possible disciplinary action. The ruling removes the protection that the settlement had provided against IRS audits.

Donald TrumpIRStax auditscourt ruling

London is introducing new powers aimed at state proxies. The move follows accusations that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps engineered anti-Semitic attacks. The UK plans to designate the Iranian outfit as a “terror” threat. The step marks the first use of the new powers targeting such proxies.

United KingdomIranian Revolutionary Guardterror threat

The British government has designated Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. Officials explained that the unit is allegedly involved in intimidating critics of the Islamic Republic on British soil. The move targets a prominent Iranian military force and reflects London’s stated concerns about activities directed at opponents in the UK.

United KingdomIranIRGC

The UK government says it will designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation. The Home Office will prohibit support for the group, which ministers describe as a central branch of Iran’s military. The decision marks a major escalation in diplomatic tensions with Tehran. British political divisions over the issue had continued for years. The measure amounts to proscription, although the Home Office says it is not legally identical to a formal ban.

United KingdomIranIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corpsdiplomatic tensions

A fire at a Bangkok pub has killed 27 people and injured dozens more. More than 70 people were hurt in the blaze, with many of them reported to be in critical condition. The incident is described as one of Thailand’s worst fires in recent history. The scale of the casualties has drawn attention to the deadly disaster.

Bangkok fireThailandcasualties

A musician performing at a Bangkok bar when the fire began says he had to crawl towards the exit. He was then thrown out of the venue when something exploded inside. The account describes how the deadly inferno swept through the bar, leaving people with seemingly no way to escape. Witnesses focused on the desperate attempt to get out as the blaze spread.

Bangkokbar firewitness accounts

A musician performing when the fire broke out described the chaos inside the Bangkok bar. He said he crawled along the floor toward an exit as people were packed together. An explosion then occurred somewhere in the venue, throwing him out of the bar. His account portrays the fire as a rapidly unfolding and deadly incident.

Bangkokbar firewitness account

One person was killed in a fatal shooting in Maine involving US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to the speaker of the Maine House of Representatives. The lawmaker made the statement on Monday. The incident followed, by several days, the shooting death of a man during a traffic stop in Houston, Texas. An ICE officer was identified as the shooter in that earlier incident.

MaineshootingICE

Ukraine says drones have struck 15 additional Russian vessels. The claim brings the reported total involved in its Sea of Azov campaign to 105 ships. The waterway is strategically important to Russia. It supports military logistics and serves as a key route for exporting oil, grain, steel and other goods to international markets.

UkraineRussiaSea of Azovdrone strikes

The European Union has imposed sanctions on Russian social-media entities. The listings include VK, the company that owns the VKontakte social-networking website, as well as its subsidiary Communication Platform LLC. The subsidiary developed Max, and its head, Elena Bagudina, was also included. The measures therefore cover both the companies behind the platforms and a named executive.

EU sanctionsRussiasocial media

The European Union has imposed sanctions on VK. The EU said the measure was taken because VK is the parent company of Communication Platform LLC. That company developed the national Max messenger. The sanctions therefore target VK in connection with its ownership of the developer behind the messaging service.

EU sanctionsVKMax messenger

Ukraine and nine European partners are joining forces in a new anti-ballistic missile coalition. Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom are taking part alongside Kyiv. The French presidency said the effort aims to “build a shared anti-ballistic missile capacity for Europe.” The coalition is intended to support the Freya air defense project and strengthen cooperation on European defensive capabilities.

UkraineEuropean defenseanti-ballistic missilesair defense

Volkswagen chief executive Oliver Blume has confirmed plans to eliminate a further 50,000 jobs. The announcement follows the supervisory board’s rejection of a proposal to close four plants in Germany. Blume told employees that the restructuring would involve “controversial decisions” and represented the most extensive realignment in the company’s history. The programme consists of 12 initiatives, about 150 pages and 45 separate resolutions.

Volkswagenjob cutsGerman auto industry

Naftogaz CEO Serhii Koretskyi is expected to become Ukraine’s next prime minister, according to a senior Ukrainian official and another person familiar with the matter. The anticipated appointment follows Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko’s confirmation on July 12 that she would step down. Svyrydenko is expected to move into the role of Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s tenure. The reported change would mark a reshaping of Ukraine’s government leadership.

Ukraine politicsgovernment reshuffleprime minister appointment

Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko has resigned from her post. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he offered her a new position. The proposed role would involve relations with a key international partner. Her departure comes as Zelenskyy carries out a government shake-up.

Ukraine politicsgovernment reshuffleYulia SvyrydenkoVolodymyr Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated on the 12th that he plans to replace Prime Minister Svyrydenko. Some reports suggest Svyrydenko could subsequently be appointed ambassador to the United States. The reported possibility is linked to maintaining good relations with the Trump administration. No final appointment was stated.

Ukraine politicsprime minister changeUS ambassadorZelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has unveiled a new political strategy alongside a major government reshuffle. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko is stepping down, while Zelensky says he has offered her another role focused on relations with a key international partner. He is calling for a “renewal of the Cabinet of Ministers” and plans changes to the leadership of law enforcement agencies. No specific reason has been given for the shake-up.

Ukrainegovernment reshuffleVolodymyr Zelenskyprime minister