- After long fight for glory, Nadal leaves with a legacy of memories
- Home hopes Zheng and Wang through to last-eight in Wuhan Open
- UN peacekeepers say Israel fired on Lebanon HQ, injuring 2
- UK's William and Kate in first joint public engagement since cancer treatment
- Alcaraz out as top players pay tribute to Nadal at Shanghai Masters
- Racing's Farrell 'not thinking' about British and Irish Lions
- Alcaraz, Sinner pay tribute to 'unbelievable' Nadal at Shanghai Masters
- Over 200 women in legal talks with Harrods over Fayed abuse claims
- After K-pop, K-novels? South Korean Nobel win sparks joy, hope at home
- After Nadal exit, Djokovic left to rage against dying of the light
- A very stiff breeze: BBC says sorry for 20,000 kph wind forecast
- Triple centurion Brook happy to break Dad's club record
- Zelensky touts 'victory plan' against Russia in Macron talks
- Musk finally unveiling his long-promised robotaxi
- UN peacekeepers accuses Israel of firing on Lebanon HQ
- London's Frieze art fair goes potty for ceramics
- Southgate taking year out from coaching
- US, Europe stocks fall on US inflation data
- Zelensky meets Macron in Paris as part of European tour
- Hurricane Milton shreds Florida stadium roof
- UN probe accuses Israel of seeking to 'destroy' Gaza healthcare
- US consumer inflation eases to 2.4% in September
- England in sight of victory after Brook's triple hundred
- Juventus readmitted to ECA after failed Super League revolt
- World number 2 Alcaraz knocked out of Shanghai Masters by Machac
- Leaders of Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia meet amid regional tensions
- Klopp's Red Bull decision 'ruined life's work' say Dortmund fans
- Han Kang wins South Korea's first literature Nobel
- S. Korea's Nobel winner Han Kang a modest, thought-provoking writer
- Hurricane Milton tornadoes kill four in Florida amid rescue efforts
- The almost impossible job: Beating Rafael Nadal at the French Open
- New French government faces key test with budget plan
- Rescuers say Israeli strike on Gaza school kills 28
- Italy's ex-world champion gymnast Ferrari announces retirement
- Zelensky talks 'victory plan' in meeting with Starmer, Rutte
- South Korea's Han Kang wins literature Nobel
- Federer lauds retiring Nadal's 'incredible achievements'
- Ikea posts fall in annual sales after lowering prices
- Australia beat China 3-1 to resurrect World Cup campaign
- Stock markets diverge, oil gains after China rebounds
- Nadal defied injury woes in record-breaking career
- Nadal v Djokovic, French Open, 2006: Chapter One in epic rivalry
- World can't 'waste time' trading climate change blame: COP29 hosts
- Pakistan at 23-1 after Brook triple hundred takes England to 823-7
- Zelensky meets Starmer, Rutte on whirlwind tour of Europe
- South Korean same-sex couples make push for marriage equality
- Rafael Nadal calls time on epic tennis career
- Mumbai declares day of mourning for Indian industrialist Ratan Tata
- Philippines confronts China over South China Sea at ASEAN meet
- Kim Sei-young shoots 62 to take two-stroke lead at LPGA Shanghai
RYCEF | 0% | 6.9 | $ | |
RBGPF | 4.03% | 63.35 | $ | |
CMSC | 0.16% | 24.56 | $ | |
NGG | 0.49% | 65.95 | $ | |
BTI | -0.48% | 35.31 | $ | |
SCS | -2.92% | 12.66 | $ | |
RELX | -0.51% | 46.475 | $ | |
RIO | 0.37% | 66.595 | $ | |
BP | 0.93% | 32.28 | $ | |
GSK | -1.87% | 39.5 | $ | |
VOD | -0.26% | 9.705 | $ | |
BCC | -1.21% | 140.685 | $ | |
JRI | -0.08% | 13.21 | $ | |
AZN | -0.75% | 76.925 | $ | |
CMSD | 0.26% | 24.745 | $ | |
BCE | -1.11% | 32.945 | $ |
Over 17,000 hectares destroyed in Colombia forest fires
Forest fires have destroyed more than 17,000 hectares in Colombia since November, authorities said Friday, as the country faces its hottest January in decades.
More than 340 fires have been recorded in that period, spurred by prolonged drought, record heat, and the El Nino weather phenomenon, Environment Minister Susana Muhamad said, adding that 26 fires were still blazing.
Colombia has been battling several fires near the capital since Monday, including some in the mountains overlooking Bogota, and authorities have advised residents living close to burnt areas to avoid going outside because of the poor air quality.
"Today, we have a fire in the Nevada del Cocuy," a natural park with snow-capped peaks about 250 kilometres (155 miles) northeast of Bogota, Muhamad told a news conference.
She added that the flames were at a "quite high" point in the park, so a helicopter had been deployed to assess the situation.
- Smoke in Bogota -
One of the fires is burning about 900 metres from Bogota's eastern El Paraiso neighbourhood.
Some residents affected by the smoke were being treated, the Colombian Red Cross in Bogota wrote on social media platform X, alongside photos of emergency workers helping a man wearing a facemask.
President Gustavo Petro this week declared a natural disaster, allowing funds to be diverted from other budget items towards containing the blazes, and appealed for international aid.
Bogota's El Dorado international airport returned to normal operations on Friday after restrictions the previous day affected 138 flights.
This month is shaping up to be the hottest January in 30 years, according to Ghisliane Echeverry, director of the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies in Colombia.
Echeverry warned February could see even higher temperatures, and only in March will rains help to "mitigate" the consequences of the extreme heat.
Authorities are investigating whether arsonists are causing some of the fires, and police have arrested 26 people for "fire-related offences".
A.Jones--AMWN