ATHENS: A massive wildfire was burning unabated in northeastern Greece for the 11th day Tuesday despite the efforts of hundreds of firefighters and a fleet of water-dropping aircraft from Greece and several of its European Union partners.
After burning across vast tracts of land, the blaze in the Alexandroupolis and Evros region was mainly concentrated deep in a forest near the border with Turkiye, in an area difficult to access.
The wildfire, which was blamed for 20 of the 21 wildfire-related deaths in Greece last week, is the biggest in the EU since record keeping started in 2000.
Six planes and four helicopters were assisting 475 firefighters on the ground, backed by 100 vehicles, the fire department said. Another 260 firefighters and one helicopter were tackling flare-ups of another major fire burning for days in a forest on the southern slopes of Mount Parnitha, on the fringes of the Greek capital.
Authorities are investigating the causes of the fires, which over the past week have destroyed large tracts of forest, scorched homes and triggered the evacuation of thousands of people.
In Athens, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis chaired a government meeting on how to rehabilitate the burnt forests in Evros and Parnitha. It decided to identify all burned areas for reforestation, take action to prevent flooding later in the year and provide access to food and water for the area’s surviving wildlife.
With firefighting forces stretched to the limit, Greece has called for help from other European countries, receiving 12 aircraft and hundreds of firefighters from across the continent.
France and Spain were sending additional aircraft to join those already sent from Germany, Sweden, Croatia, Cyprus and the Czech Republic under the EU’s emergency response mechanism.
More than 350 firefighters have also been sent to Greece from Romania, France, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Albania, Slovakia and Serbia.
The top EU official for crisis management, Janez Lenarcic, said Tuesday it was the bloc’s largest aerial firefighting operation and “underscores our commitment to swift and effective collective action in times of crisis.”
The Alexandroupolis and Evros wildfire, which broke out on Aug. 19, has scorched more than 81,000 hectares (200,000 acres) of land, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Emergency Management Service. Copernicus is the EU space program’s Earth observation component and uses satellite imagery to provide mapping data.
The European Commission described it Tuesday as the largest single blaze recorded in the bloc since the European Forest Fire Information System began recording data in 2000.
Across Greece, firefighters were battling 74 wildfires on Monday, with 27 of them having broken out in the 24 hours between Sunday evening and Monday evening, the fire department said.
Arson has been suspected in some of the blazes, with several people arrested.
Greece imposes wildfire prevention regulations, typically from the start of May to the end of October, limiting activities such as the burning of dried vegetation and the use of outdoor barbecues.
As of Friday, fire department officials had arrested 163 people on fire-related charges since the start of the fire prevention season, including 118 for negligence and 24 for deliberate arson, government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said. Police made an additional 18 arrests, he said.
Massive wildfire in northeastern Greece persists for 11th day despite European firefighting efforts
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Massive wildfire in northeastern Greece persists for 11th day despite European firefighting efforts
- Six planes and four helicopters were assisting 475 firefighters on the ground, backed by 100 vehicles, the fire department said
- Another 260 firefighters and one helicopter were tackling flare-ups of another major fire burning for days in a forest on the southern slopes of Mount Parnitha
Taliban govt suspends chess in Afghanistan over gambling
- Gambling is illegal under the Taliban government’s morality law
- An Afghani cafe owner said he would respect the suspension but that it would hurt his business and those who enjoyed the game
KABUL: Taliban authorities have barred chess across Afghanistan until further notice over concerns it is a source of gambling, which is illegal under the government’s morality law, a sports official said on Sunday.
The Taliban government has steadily imposed laws and regulations that reflect its austere vision of Islamic law since seizing power in 2021.
“Chess in sharia (Islamic law) is considered a means of gambling,” which is prohibited according to the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice law announced last year, sports directorate spokesperson Atal Mashwani told AFP.
“There are religious considerations regarding the sport of chess,” he said.
“Until these considerations are addressed, the sport of chess is suspended in Afghanistan,” he added.
Mashwani said the national chess federation had not held any official events for around two years and “had some issues on the leadership level.”
Azizullah Gulzada owns a cafe in Kabul that has hosted informal chess competitions in recent years, but denied any gambling took place and noted chess was played in other Muslim-majority countries.
“Many other Islamic countries have players on an international level,” he told AFP.
He said he would respect the suspension but that it would hurt his business and those who enjoyed the game.
“Young people don’t have a lot of activities these days, so many came here everyday,” he told AFP.
“They would have a cup of tea and challenge their friends to a game of chess.”
Afghanistan’s authorities have restricted other sports in recent years and women have been essentially barred from participating in sport altogether in the country.
Last year, the authorities banned free fighting such as mixed martial arts (MMA) in professional competition, saying it was too “violent” and “problematic with respect to sharia.”
Some Ukrainian soldiers say Russians must withdraw before any peace talks
- Soldiers in drone unit say Russians must withdraw before peace talks
- Insist Russia pull back to Ukraine’s 1991 borders and say there was no three-day ceasefire
ZAPORIZHZHIA REGION, Ukraine: After fending off attacks during a three-day weekend ceasefire declared by Russia, some Ukrainian soldiers fighting near the front line had advice for their president, Volodymyr Zelensky: don’t talk to Moscow until Russian troops withdraw.
Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed direct talks with Ukraine just over an hour after his ceasefire ended, something Zelensky said was possible, but only after Moscow agreed to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire from Monday.
Preparing drones to observe Russian troop movements as the ceasefire was ending, the commander of a drone unit in Ukraine’s national guard, using the call sign Chepa, told Reuters any talks could only start with a full Russian withdrawal to Ukraine’s borders when the country won independence in 1991.
“As a soldier and a citizen of Ukraine I believe that before we sit down at the negotiation table we should go back to the borders of 1991,” Chepa said in a bunker near the front line.
“That’s it. Full withdrawal of all troops from the territory of Ukraine. Then when we can talk. Whatever he (Putin) is thinking of, take certain regions or divide territories, nobody has given him the right to do it.”
Chepa’s views were echoed by others in the unit.
Russia occupies nearly a fifth of Ukrainian territory and has repeatedly said Kyiv must recognize the “reality on the ground.”
Zelensky has acknowledged that at least some of Ukraine’s occupied territory will have to be retaken through diplomacy. But Kyiv cannot legally recognize Russian control over any Ukrainian territory because of the constitution.
Zelensky has said any discussion about territory can only take place after a ceasefire is in place.
Putin used a late night press conference to make his proposal for talks, which he said, should be based on a draft deal negotiated in 2022, under which Ukraine would agree to permanent neutrality.
That would contradict Ukraine’s constitution, amended in 2019 to include the goal of “fully-fledged membership” of NATO.
Zelensky received a show of support from European powers on Saturday, when the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Poland backed an unconditional ceasefire beginning on Monday.
Chepa said he also wanted negotiations but feared they would never come about.
“Yes, we do need negotiations. But he (Putin) is scared of talks,” Chepa said, adding his brigade had seen no evidence of a ceasefire over the weekend.
“We have not seen any ceasefire, there were continuous attacks by howitzers, rocket launchers, they used it all. We have not experienced any ceasefire.”
The Russian movements continued into Sunday, after the Russian-declared ceasefire ran out at midnight (2100 GMT), when the reconnaissance drones flew over a nearby village.
“There is a lot of movement there of military as well as civilian vehicles,” Chepa said. “Interesting that so close to the contact line there is a civilian car. Not damaged, mind you. They must be making good use of it.”
India’s worst-hit border town sees people return after ceasefire
- Most of the over 60 dead were civilians and the majority Pakistanis
- Residents returned as an India-Pakistan truce was holding on Sunday
POONCH: Residents of the town in Indian-administered Kashmir worst hit by the deadliest fighting in decades with Pakistan trickled back on Sunday, a day after a surprise truce.
Over 60 people died in days of days of missile, drone and artillery attacks that came close to all-out war until the ceasefire, which was holding on Sunday despite early alleged violations.
Most of the dead were civilians and the majority Pakistanis.
On the Indian side, Poonch on the Indian-run part of divided Kashmir bore the brunt, with at least 12 people killed at 49 injured, according to officials.
They included 12-year-old Zian Khan and his twin sister Urwa Fatima, hit by an artillery shell on Wednesday as their parents tried to leave the town.
The majority of the 60,000-strong population fled in cars, on buses and even on foot, leaving only a few thousand to brave it out.
Tariq Ahmad arrived back on Sunday bringing back 20 people in his bus as signs of life and activity returned to Poonch’s streets.
“Most who fled are still afraid and will wait and watch to see if this agreement holds,” the 26-year-old driver told AFP at the main bus terminal.
“Luckily, I managed to pick up 20 people from nearby villages who wanted to check if their homes and belongings survived the intense Pakistani shelling.”
Poonch lies about 145 miles (230 kilometers) from Jammu, the second largest city in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Hazoor Sheikh, 46, who runs a store in the main market, was one of the first few people to reopen his shop.
“Finally, after days, we could sleep peacefully,” he said.
“It is not just me or my family but everyone around finally had a smile yesterday,” he added.
“I nervously returned a short while back to check on my shop,” 40-year-old Mushtaq Qureshi said.
“Our families and neighbors were all separated as people fled to villages or relatives’ homes for safety. But we are happy to be back today and to see each other again,” he said.
Qureshi had left his home with about 20 relatives.
“Buildings around our neighborhood were hit but luckily nothing has happened to my home,” he said.
Rita Sharma, 51, said she was really looking forward to seeing five children from her extended whom she had sent away for safety.
“They were the first to call yesterday after the (ceasefire) announcement and declared that they’d be back home by Sunday evening,” she said.
“We hope it stays peaceful.”
Hotel manager Subhash Chandar Raina also stayed put despite “the worst shelling in years.”
“I feel sorry for those who’ve lost lives and belongings but thank God for allowing us to return to our normal lives after the worst phase in the region for years,” the 53-year-old said.
Raina was one of only two hotel staff who stayed back as they felt traveling “was risky.”
Abdul Razzak, 50, remembers fleeing with four children and two other relatives on two motorbikes with nothing but their clothes.
“It was our worst nightmare... We’ve seen our people die around us, so none of us want a war,” Razzak said.
Hafiz Mohammad Shah Bukhari was skeptical.
“We are not entirely confident that this ceasefire agreement will hold, based on our experience over the years,” the 49-year-old said.
“Every time India has agreed to such an agreement, Pakistan has ended up violating it... It’s people like us, the frontier people, who end up suffering and losing everything.”
Philippines’ Catholics welcome new pope with hope
- About 80 percent of Philippines’ 110 million population are Catholics
- Before his election, Pope Leo XIV had made several visits to the Philippines
MANILA: Filipinos joined Catholics around the world on Sunday to welcome the newly elected leader of their church, expressing hope and optimism for the papacy of Pope Leo XIV.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost became the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday. The 69-year-old is the first North American pope and had spent more than two decades as a missionary in Peru.
Pope Leo follows in the footsteps of Pope Francis, who died on April 21 after a series of health issues. He was 88 years old.
In the Philippines, home to about 85 million Catholics, devotees who had closely followed the conclave to elect a new pope rejoiced at the outcome.
“He feels like the kind of leader the Catholic Church needs right now — someone who will continue the work Pope Francis started, especially in fighting for the rights of migrants and calling for peace by stopping the current wars,” Kris Crismundo, a church choir member from Bulacan province, told Arab News.
“It’s clear that he's someone with a heart for service, compassion, and unity, which are exactly the qualities the world needs more of today … I look forward to seeing where his leadership takes us.”
The Philippines is one of only two majority Christian countries in Asia, along with tiny East Timor.
With nearly 80 percent of the population belonging to the Catholic Church, many in the country have a special affection for their religious leader.
During a 2015 visit, Pope Francis drew a record crowd of more than six million people at a historic mass in Manila. When he died, masses were held throughout the archipelagic country in his honor.
“I have loved Pope Francis, but we have to accept God’s divine plan. A new pope is always a fresh start, and can give hope to all,” Manila-based journalist Karen Ow-Yong told Arab News.
She sees Pope Leo’s background in Peru as a “glimpse of what his papacy” will look like.
“We hope for a modern-day Pope who can relate and address modern-day challenges facing Catholics,” she said. “I wish for the new pope to be the light that shines on the darkest issues of humanity today, as well as to push for transparency and accountability, especially in issues and controversies involving the church.”
Jaime Laude, a journalist and former seminarian from Antique province, highlighted similarities between Pope Leo and his predecessor.
“Just like the late pontiff, he's been deeply immersed with the marginalized people in society like those in the Philippines, especially in Latin America where for decades he’s been assigned,” Laude said.
“I, for one, have high hopes that the new pontiff will further strengthen the Catholic faith in all of us Roman Catholic believers … also hoping that his advocacies through faith and teachings will promote world peace.”
Many Filipinos were aware that Pope Leo was no stranger to the Philippines, because he has visited over the years, according to reports from local media.
Angeline Patricia Fae, an analyst in Manila, is hoping to see a continuation of Pope Francis’s papacy.
“I hope that the new Pope Leo XIV will continue what Pope Francis preached and embodied: a church that is welcoming and accepting,” she told Arab News.
“I pray for a fruitful rule and as well for his well-being. God bless.”
Other Filipinos are hopeful that the new pope will bridge divisions in an increasingly chaotic world.
“I wish the holy father to be a prophet of dialogue in our divided world,” Ted Tuvera, a Filipino theologian and candidate for priesthood, said.
“Instead of seeing the ‘other’ as ‘others,’ may we see and meet them as neighbors.”
Monsi Alfonso Serrano, who is based in Manila, believes that Pope Leo’s election will neutralize the divisions created by US President Donald Trump.
“The name of Cardinal Robert Prevost didn’t surface as a potential pontiff … This is how God works; mysterious and beyond human comprehension,” Serrano said.
“The pope’s first address was a call for building bridges since Trump has been enjoying driving wedges between different countries in the world … The world needs a pope that calls to build bridges instead of walls.”
Pope Leo XIV appeals for ‘no more war’ in first Sunday message
- Pope Leo calls for ‘authentic’ peace in Ukraine
- Pontiff appeals for Gaza ceasefire, release of Israeli hostages
VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo XIV appealed to the world’s major powers for “no more war” in his first Sunday message to crowds in St. Peter’s Square since his election as pontiff.
The new pope, elected on May 8, called for an “authentic and lasting peace” in Ukraine, a ceasefire in Gaza, and the release of all Israeli hostages held by militant group Hamas.
Leo also welcomed the recent fragile ceasefire between India and Pakistan, negotiated overnight, and said he was praying to God to grant the world the “miracle of peace.”
“No more war!” the pope said, repeating a frequent call of the late Pope Francis and noting the recent 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, in which some 60 million people were killed.
Leo said today’s world was living through “the dramatic scenario of a Third World War being fought piecemeal,” again repeating a phrase coined by Francis.
The new pope said he carries in his heart the “suffering of the beloved people of Ukraine.”
Hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed direct talks with Ukraine aimed at ending the bloody three-year war, Leo appealed for negotiations to reach an “authentic, just and lasting peace.”
The pope also said he was “profoundly saddened” by the war in Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian aid and release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.
Leo said he was glad to hear of the recent India-Pakistan ceasefire and hoped negotiations would lead to a lasting accord between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
He added: “But there are so many other conflicts in the world!“
US-BORN POPE SPEAKS ITALIAN TO CROWD
Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, is the first US-born pontiff and was a relative unknown on the world stage before his election.
He previously served for decades as a missionary in Peru before first becoming a cardinal to take up a senior Vatican role two years ago.
Leo’s first Sunday address to tens of thousands in the square coincided with a previously planned pilgrimage to Rome by marching bands from around the world.
Minutes before the pope addressed the crowd, bands marched up the broad boulevard leading to the Vatican playing songs such as Y.M.C.A. by the Village People, the theme from the film Rocky, and music by John Philip Sousa, who composed the marching classic “Stars and Stripes Forever.”
The crowd, estimated at more than 100,000 by Italian authorities, was also entertained by bands from Italy, Mexico and other parts of Latin America who came to Rome for the ongoing Catholic Holy Year.
Leo gave his address on Sunday in fluent Italian.
In all of his appearances since his election, Leo has not made any mention of the country of his birth, angering some US conservative commentators.
