Two die as firefighting helicopters collide in Greece, French blaze changes course
Two firefighting helicopters collided in Greece while helping to control a huge wildfire on Aug 2 that has destroyed more than 100 homes north-west of Athens, while people fled another blaze on the tourist island of Kefalonia.
Two people on one helicopter — a Greek and a Danish national — died, while the crew on the other, one person from Greece, one from Britain, survived, the fire service said. Investigations had started into what caused the collision, it added.
Europe has been ravaged by wildfires this summer after a period of record-breaking heatwaves and little rain – conditions that scientists say have been exacerbated by climate change.
Destructive blazes in France and Spain showed some signs of easing over the weekend, but several wildfires have broken out in Greece after a period of relative calm there.
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14 killed in suicide attack at police station in northern Pakistan
PHOTO: AFP
At least 14 people were killed in a suspected suicide bombing outside a police station in north-western Pakistan on Aug 2, a rescue group and a regional police official said, as the country battles widening insurgencies.
The explosion took place in the Kabal area of Swat, a district in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
A pro-police rally of local residents was taking place in the same area on Aug 2, but it was not immediately clear whether the rally was the intended target.
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Moroccans gather at Ceuta border, desperate for news of loved ones
PHOTO: AFP
Dozens of Moroccans gathered on Aug 2 in the town of Fnideq, desperately seeking news of their loved ones who were among the thousands who swam across the nearby border to the Spanish territory of Ceuta this week.
Aldellatif, an agricultural worker in Moulay Bousselham, about 135km from Fnideq, feared for the fate of his 17-year-old brother, who ventured out with two friends in a bid to reach Ceuta by swimming.
More than 60,000 made it to the territory in the past days, but the vast majority were turned back to Fnideq, where buses awaited to transport them back to their families.
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AstraZeneca holds talks with Bristol Myers Squibb on potential megadeal: Report
PHOTO: REUTERS
UK drugmaker AstraZeneca has been exploring a deal to combine with US rival Bristol Myers Squibb, the Financial Times reported on Aug 2, citing people familiar with the matter.
The deal could create one of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical groups with a combined value of nearly US$400 billion (S$512 billion).
The companies have held talks on a potential tie-up in recent months, the report said, adding that a deal could materialise soon, but could also be delayed or fall apart.
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Commonwealth Games faces uncertain future ahead of centenary edition
PHOTO: EPA
Glasgow stepped in to save the 2026 Commonwealth Games, but a slimmed down 10-sport model over the last 10 days has failed to dispel doubts over the future of the event.
First held as the British Empire Games 96 years ago, the event was plunged into crisis in 2023 when the Australian state of Victoria withdrew as hosts over mounting costs.
Having hosted the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Glasgow offered a cost-effective solution with existing venues already in place. The Games were delivered at a budget of just £160 million (S$276 million) compared to £780 million in Birmingham four years ago.
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