Iran signals readiness to end war with US

A major industrial fire near London has forced the closure of the M25 in both directions, triggering widespread traffic disruption and fears of possible explosions. The blaze broke out at a commercial premises in Ventura Park, near St Albans, shortly after 9.20am on Tuesday. Huge plumes of thick smoke could be seen rising over the motorway as firefighters rushed to contain the fire. The M25 has been closed between Junction 21A and Junction 22, with motorists warned to avoid the area and use alternative routes. Emergency services took the decision to close the motorway amid concerns over smoke, falling debris and the potential for secondary explosions from the industrial site. Multiple fire appliances have been deployed to tackle the blaze, while police officers are also at the scene managing the emergency and surrounding traffic. National Highways has warned motorists to expect significant delays and congestion, urging drivers to allow extra time for their journeys or avoid the affected area altogether. The incident has caused major disruption on one of London’s key orbital routes, with congestion building on surrounding roads as traffic is diverted away from the closed section. Residents close to the fire have been advised to keep windows and doors closed because of the heavy smoke. The fire is also close to a railway line, with Network Rail representatives liaising with firefighters as emergency services assess the situation. The cause of the fire has not yet been established. Emergency crews remain at the scene and the M25 will stay closed while firefighters work to bring the blaze under control and authorities determine when it is safe to reopen the motorway. Motorists are being urged not to travel towards the affected section and to follow official traffic and emergency-service instructions. The incident remains ongoing.

France and Spain are racing to contain devastating wildfires that have forced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes, with officials warning that another intense heatwave could make the crisis even worse. The blazes have spread across large areas of both countries, destroying forests, disrupting holidays, and stretching emergency services to their limits. The fires have been particularly severe in southwestern France near the famous Bordeaux wine region and in central Spain around Madrid. Authorities say more than 325,000 people have evacuated as flames continue to sweep through forests left dangerously dry after months of little rainfall and repeated heatwaves since May. Many residents escaped with only their most essential belongings. Olga Congacha, who fled her village near Madrid with her husband, said they had little time to react. She explained that they quickly gathered important documents and a few clothes before leaving as the situation became increasingly dangerous and frightening. Firefighters in France are dealing with an unusual and dangerous weather phenomenon caused by the blaze itself. Officials said the wildfire has created a massive fire cloud known as a pyrocumulonimbus. These clouds can generate their own winds, produce lightning, and in some cases even create tornadoes that ignite new fires. France’s National Federation of Firefighters said this is the first time such a phenomenon has been recorded in the country. Emergency crews continue to battle the flames with thousands of firefighters supported by water dropping aircraft. Thick smoke and rapidly changing winds have made firefighting efforts extremely difficult. One firefighter said the unpredictable wind patterns mean the fire is largely controlling the situation, forcing crews to constantly adjust their strategy. French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to chair an emergency cabinet meeting to review the growing crisis, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez plans to visit one of the worst affected areas in Valencia, where firefighters are tackling another fast moving wildfire. Spanish Civil Protection chief Virginia Barcones described the wildfire near Avila as a “monster” because of its enormous size. She said the fire has spread across a perimeter of about 280 kilometers and has burned approximately 77,000 hectares of land, making it one of the country’s largest wildfire emergencies in recent years. Scientists continue to warn that climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including prolonged heatwaves and destructive wildfires. High temperatures combined with dry vegetation have created ideal conditions for fires to spread rapidly across southern Europe. In France’s Gironde region, authorities urged tourists to avoid the area and choose alternative destinations while emergency crews work to contain the blaze. Since last week, the wildfire has burned more than 42,000 hectares, an area several times larger than Manhattan. Around 220,000 people have been evacuated from the region, including visitors staying at 45 campsites that were forced to close, disrupting holidays for roughly 40,000 people. Another 30,000 residents have also been evacuated from other fire affected parts of the country. Some homeowners have chosen to stay behind despite evacuation orders in an effort to protect their properties. Georges Clivaz, whose home is near the advancing fire in Gironde, said he and his family were spraying water along nearby roads to slow the flames. He admitted firefighters had warned them the blaze could reach their home within hours, but they hoped their efforts might help save their property. Weather experts have warned that another heatwave is expected to hit parts of France from Tuesday, with temperatures forecast to reach as high as 40 degrees Celsius in some areas. In Spain, around 75,000 people have been evacuated from regions including Madrid, Avila, Toledo, and Castellon. Although officials reported some progress, several major fires remain out of control. One person has died in the wildfire near Valencia, while two French firefighters lost their lives earlier this week while battling the flames near Bordeaux.

The British Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been forced to cancel a major military training exercise in Kenya after the Kenyan government refused to ratify a renewed bilateral defence agreement. The decision follows a stalemate between London and Nairobi regarding the framework governing the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK). Kenyan lawmakers have demanded key structural revisions to the pact, including greater local authority and primary jurisdiction to prosecute British soldiers who commit criminal offences on Kenyan soil. Disagreements over the financial compensation Britain pays to host its training operations in Laikipia have also stalled negotiations. As a direct consequence of the expired permits, a scheduled exercise involving the 1st Battalion, the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, set to begin in September, has been called off, with the MoD relocating the drills to an alternative site outside Kenya. The diplomatic standoff comes amid escalating domestic pressure in Kenya over alleged human rights violations, environmental damage, and misconduct associated with BATUK operations. Scrutiny has particularly intensified around the high-profile 2012 murder of Agnes Wanjiru. A former British soldier, Robert Purkiss, faces a single charge of murder in the case, with Kenya retaining jurisdiction and an extradition hearing scheduled for November. While both governments maintain that they are actively engaging to resolve the outstanding legal and financial issues, the training suspension deals a immediate blow to local businesses in Laikipia that depend on the economic activity generated by visiting British troops.