- Ex-Dutch football star Johan Neeskens dies
- Man Utd battling to improve fortunes, says Evans
- What is microRNA? Nobel-winning discovery explained
- Masood, Abdullah centuries lift Pakistan to 328-4 in first England Test
- Hurricane Milton strengthens fast, threatens Mexico, Florida
- Tunisia's President Saied set for landslide election win
- Barca hoping to return to Camp Nou 'by end of year'
- Trump to open second golf course at Scotland resort in summer 2025
- Super-sub Jhon Duran rewarded with new Aston Villa deal
- US duo win Nobel for gene regulation breakthrough
- Masood hits first ton for four years to power Pakistan to 233-1
- Fritz wins delayed match to reach Shanghai Masters third round
- Naomi Osaka pulls out of Japan Open with back injury
- Weather may delay launch of mission to study deflected asteroid
- China to flesh out economic stimulus plans after bumper rally
- Artist Marina Abramovic hopes first China show offers tech respite
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on US jobs data
- Pakistan 122-1 at lunch in first England Test
- Kazakhs approve plan for first nuclear power plant
- World marks anniversary of Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- 'Second family': tennis stars hunt winning formula with new coaches
- Philippines, South Korea agree to deepen maritime cooperation
- Mexico mayor murdered days after taking office
- Sardinia's sheep farmers battle bluetongue as climate warms
- Japan govt admits doctoring 'untidy' cabinet photo
- Israel marks first anniversary of Hamas's October 7 attack
- Darvish tames Ohtani as Padres thrash Dodgers
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on jobs data
- Family affair as LeBron, Bronny James make Lakers bow
- Cancer, cardiovascular drugs tipped for Nobel as prize week opens
- As Great Salt Lake dries, Utah Republicans pardon Trump climate skepticism
- Amazon activist warns of 'critical situation' ahead of UN forum
- Mourners pay tribute to latest victims of deadly Channel crossing
- Tunisia incumbent Saied set to win presidential vote: exit polls
- Phillies win thriller to level Mets series
- Yu bags first PGA Tour win with playoff win
- PSG held by Nice to leave Monaco clear at top of Ligue 1
- AC Milan fall at Fiorentina after De Gea's penalty heroics
- Lewandowski treble for leaders Barca as Atletico held
- Fresh Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Sucic stunner earns Real Sociedad draw against Atletico
- PSG draw with Nice, fail to reclaim top spot in Ligue 1
- Gudmundsson downs AC Milan after De Gea's penalty heroics for Fiorentina
- 'Yes' vote prevails in Kazakhstan nuclear plant vote: TV
- 'Difficult day': Oct 7 commemorations begin with festival memorial
- Commemorations begin for anniversary of attack on Israel
- Lewandowski hat-trick powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
- 'Nothing gets in way of team,' says Celtics' MVP hopeful Tatum
- India maintain Pakistan stranglehold as Windies cruise at Women's T20 World Cup
- 'We will win!': Mozambique's ruling party confident at final vote rally
CMSC | -0.02% | 24.695 | $ | |
RBGPF | -1.16% | 60.1 | $ | |
RYCEF | -1.16% | 6.9 | $ | |
RELX | -0.83% | 45.91 | $ | |
VOD | 0% | 9.66 | $ | |
SCS | -1.41% | 12.79 | $ | |
GSK | 0.6% | 39.055 | $ | |
NGG | -0.88% | 65.92 | $ | |
BTI | -0.18% | 35.225 | $ | |
RIO | -0.19% | 69.57 | $ | |
AZN | -0.12% | 77.375 | $ | |
CMSD | -0.13% | 24.78 | $ | |
BCC | -1.29% | 137.125 | $ | |
BCE | -0.14% | 33.662 | $ | |
JRI | -0.16% | 13.259 | $ | |
BP | 0.78% | 33.14 | $ |
Record highs scorch the globe as Europe prepares for heatwave peak
More temperature records were expected to tumble on Tuesday as Europe awaited the peak of a punishing heatwave and wildfires scorched swathes of the Northern Hemisphere, forcing the evacuation of 1,200 children close to a Greek seaside resort.
Health authorities have sounded alarms from North America to Europe and Asia, urging people to stay hydrated and shelter from the burning sun, in a stark reminder of the effects of global warming.
Europe, the world's fastest-warming continent, was bracing for its hottest-ever temperature on Italy's islands of Sicily and Sardinia, where a high of 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit) has been forecast by the European Space Agency.
Near Athens, a forest fire flared in strong winds by the popular beach town of Loutraki, where the mayor said holiday camps for youngsters had come under threat.
"We have saved 1,200 children who were in the holiday camps," said mayor Giorgos Gkionis.
Emergency services were also battling wildfires in Kouvaras and the resorts of Lagonissi, Anavyssos and Saronida near Athens. Several homes were burned in the area, according to footage from public broadcaster ERT.
"The extreme weather... is having a major impact on human health, ecosystems, economies, agriculture, energy and water supplies," said World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.
"This underlines the increasing urgency of cutting greenhouse gas emissions as quickly and as deeply as possible."
- Historic highs forecast -
In Europe, Italians were warned to prepare for "the most intense heatwave of the summer and also one of the most intense of all time" as temperatures hit a near-record 39C in Rome on Monday.
American Colman Peavy could not believe the heat as he sipped a cappuccino at a cafe with his wife Ana at the start of a two-week vacation.
"We're from Texas and it's really hot there, we thought we would escape the heat but it's even hotter here," said the 30-year-old.
It was already the world's hottest June on record, according to the EU weather monitoring service, and July looks set to break records as well.
Spain enjoyed little reprieve, with temperatures of 47C in the southern town of Villarrobledo.
In Cyprus, where temperatures are expected to remain above 40C through Thursday, a 90-year-old man died as a result of heatstroke and three other seniors were hospitalised, health officials said.
- 'Global leadership' -
Parts of Asia have baked in record temperatures, triggering torrential rain.
China reported a new high for mid-July in the northwest of the country, where temperatures reached 52.2C in the Xinjiang region's village of Sanbao, breaking the previous high of 50.6C set six years ago.
Heatstroke alerts had been issued in 32 of Japan's 47 prefectures, mainly in central and southwestern regions.
At least 60 people were treated for heatstroke, media reported, including 51 taken to hospital in Tokyo.
A quarter million people were evacuated in southern China and Vietnam before a major typhoon roared ashore late Monday, bringing fierce winds and rain and forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights and trains.
US climate envoy John Kerry held talks with Chinese officials in Beijing on Tuesday, as the world's two largest polluters revive stalled diplomacy on reducing planet-warming emissions.
Speaking at Beijing's Great Hall of the People with China's top diplomat Wang Yi on Tuesday, Kerry underlined the need for "global leadership" on climate issues.
- 'Oppressive' US heat -
In western and southern US states, which are used to high temperatures, more than 80 million people were under advisories as a "widespread and oppressive" heatwave roasted the region.
California's Death Valley, often among the hottest places on Earth, reached a near-record 52C Sunday afternoon.
In Arizona, state capital Phoenix tied its record of 18 consecutive days above 43C (109F), as temperatures hit 45C (113F) early Monday afternoon.
The US National Weather Service predicts similar highs at least through Sunday, while warning of overnight lows remaining dangerously elevated, above 32C (90F).
"We're used to 110, 112 (degrees Fahrenheit)... But not the streaks," Nancy Leonard, a 64-year-old retiree from the nearby suburb of Peoria, told AFP. "You just have to adapt."
In Southern California, several wildfires have ignited over the past few days in rural areas east of Los Angeles.
The biggest, named the Rabbit Fire, had burned nearly 8,000 acres and was 35 percent contained on Monday morning, according to authorities.
Smoke from the fires has descended on the United States again, prompting air quality alerts across much of the northeast.
burs/mca/smw
A.Rodriguezv--AMWN