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Raging wildfires in the south of Paris scorched more land overnight on Tuesday, ripping through a historic French forest, as at least two people were arrested on suspicion of starting the blaze near one of the country's most famous royal palaces. The fire broke out on Sunday in the Fontainebleau forest, which is situated some 60 kilometers (40 miles) southeast of France's capital. A second, smaller inferno was reported the next day and the two blazes have until now charred more than 1,900 hectares (4,700 acres) — an area measuring thrice the size of Gibraltar — according to latest estimates from firefighters. "It is not ‌under control," ⁠Interior ⁠Minister Laurent Nunez said about the fire on Monday night, adding that it was just a few ​kilometers away from the Palace of Fontainebleau. ...

Authorities arrested a man on suspicion of the murder of Ann Widdecombe, police in southwest England announced on Friday, a few hours after news of the once-prominent politician being found dead emerged.  A Conservative government minister in the 1990s known for her sharp tongue, Widdecombe became an ally of right-wing populist Nigel Farage later in her political career.  Widdecombe started out her career as a high-flyer in the Conservative Party, reaching her most influential position within the party in opposition alongside then-leader William HagueImage: Photoshot/picture alliance What did police say about the case? Police said nothing initially about a potential motive or backdrop in the nascent case.  "Our murder enquiry is in its early stages but moving at a significant pace," D...

Cuba on Friday saw its second nationwide blackout in five days. The island nation's electricity grid has crumbled amid a six-month US fuel blockade and already-dilapidated energy infrastructure. This is Cuba's ninth nationwide power outage since 2024, and the fourth in 2026. State electricity company UNE said in a post on X that there had been a "total collapse of the national electric system" at 4:30 p.m. local time (2030 UTC). "Protocols are being activated to begin the recovery process," Cuba's Energy Ministry said on social media. There was no immediate explanation of the blackout from Cuban authorities. Authorities attributed Monday's outage to voltage instability and low levels of electricity output. Most of the country was reconnected to the grid by late Tuesday.The blackouts ...

Firefighters across southern Europe battled several wildfires on Sunday, with authorities in southwestern France warning that one blaze could force a partial cancellation of the Tour de France. Blazes were also reported in Portugal, Greece, Spain and the Balkans, just as the summer tourism season moves into high gear. European policymakers have warned of a very extreme danger from wildfires this year, particularly during July and August.Europe's heat wave: The worst is yet to comeTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Wildfire may reroute Tour de France French authorities said they would decide by the end of Sunday whether to cancel the third stage of the Tour de France, after a forest fire raged about 60 kilometer...

Scottish police on Sunday said they had charged a 36-year-old man in connection with a series of attacks in Edinburgh on Friday. "A 36-year-old man has been charged in connection with a number of incidents which took place in Edinburgh on Friday, 19 June, 2026," the Scottish police statement read. "A report has been submitted to the procurator fiscal, and the individual will appear at court in due course.” On Saturday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that the attacks appeared to be motivated by "anti-Muslim hatred." Starmer condemns 'appalling' Edinburgh attacks Britain's prime minister condemned the attacks. "Absolutely appalling. No one should face violence on our streets," Starmer said in a post on X.  "The suspect appears to be motivated by anti-Muslim hatred. I will no...

British Business Minister Peter Kyle on Sunday said that Keir Starmer was reflecting on the "political realities" after a potential rival for the prime minister's post, Andy Burnham, won a by-election and a seat in the House of Commons on Thursday.  Sitting in parliament would enable Burnham in theory to be prime minister or to trigger a hostile contest for the leadership of the Labour Party, and by extension the top political job in the UK.  Starmer has faced increasing pressure as his and Labour's popularity has waned since his 2024 election win, particularly since a poor showing in local and regional elections for Labour last month.  Speculation about who will occupy 10 Downing Street long term has been rife at least since Labour's defeats in local and regional elections last monthIm...