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Thousands flee in Greece as wildfires sweep through Mediterranean

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(Last Updated On: August 6, 2021)

Thousands of people fled their homes on the outskirts of Athens on Friday as emergency crews struggled to stop wildfires from spreading to more towns while scorching winds fueled blazes across Greece for the fourth day.

Like elsewhere in Europe, Greece has been grappling with extreme weather this summer and a week-long heatwave – its worst in 30 years – has sparked simultaneous wildfires in many parts of the country, burning homes and killing animals as flames tear through thousands of acres of land.

There were 56 active fronts across Greece on Friday, from the Peloponnese to the island of Evia near the capital, where hundreds of people had to be evacuated by boat as flames burned through forestland to the shore.

“We are continuing our efforts, hour by hour, to tackle multiple fires today,” Deputy Civil Protection Minister Nikos Hardalias said, as authorities ordered the evacuation of more suburbs north of Athens, where wildfires on the foothills of Mount Parnitha burst back into life late on Thursday.

“Conditions are extremely dangerous,” he said.

The fire, which first broke out on Tuesday, burned around the main highway linking the capital to northern Greece and hundreds of firefighters with water-bombing aircraft were engaged in a “titanic effort” to prevent the flames reaching the nearby town of Marathon, Hardalias said.

“We might have to spend the night in the car if we don’t find a friend to host us,” said Yorgos, 26, who had to leave his home in the suburb of Polydendri.

In neighbouring Turkey, authorities are battling the country’s worst ever wildfires, and flames sweeping through its southwestern coastal regions forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. In Italy, hot winds fanned flames on the island of Sicily this week.

‘A CATASTROPHE’

Athenians were told to stay indoors again to avoid toxic fumes as the blaze, fuelled by winds and explosions on high-voltage power lines, sent a cloud of smoke over the capital.

Temperatures have been over 40 degrees Celsius (107 Fahrenheit) all week and no let up was expected on Friday with gale force winds expected to spread the flames further.

The Athens power grid operator announced staggered power cuts in the surrounding region to ensure there were no major outages in mainland Greece.

On Evia, coastguard vessels assisted by tourist boats have picked up 631 people since late Thursday from three beaches on the island, where the flames have burned through a vast area of pine forest since Tuesday and reached the sea.

The island’s deputy governor, George Kelaiditis, called it “the biggest catastrophe in Evia in 50 years,” with hundreds of damaged houses and thousands of acres of burned forest land.

In the Peloponnese, where firefighters saved Ancient Olympia, the site of the first Olympic Games, from a raging fire this week, the flames left behind scorched earth and dead animals.

“A catastrophe,” said farmer Marinos Anastopoulos. “The fire came around midday with swirling winds and homes were burned, a lot of animals burned to death. Rabbits, sheep, dogs, everything.”

Joining firefighters from countries including France, Cyprus and Sweden, Israel said it was sending a team of 16 firefighters to Greece.

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Iranian FM warns US interventions in Afghanistan ‘complicating situation’

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(Last Updated On: May 14, 2024)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Monday that continued interventions by the US into the internal affairs of Afghanistan will complicate the country’s situation.

In a meeting in Tehran with the head of the UN in Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, Amir-Abdollahian said Iran closely follows the developments in Afghanistan and supports stability, security, and sustainable development in the neighboring country.

He also said Iran supports the role of the United Nations in helping the people of Afghanistan.

According to Iran’s Mehr News, Amir-Abdollahian raised the issue of Afghan nationals in Iran and urged the UN to address the situation.

He also reportedly criticized the US for its “destructive role in Afghanistan during its presence in the country”, noting that the continuation of targeted interventions by the US in the internal affairs of Afghanistan will complicate the situation further.

Amir-Abdollahian emphasized the need for diverse and multi-layered solutions to Afghanistan’s complex problems, Mehr News reported.

Otunbayeva in turn explained the latest developments and issues in Afghanistan and the upcoming Doha meeting in Qatar.

She also stressed the need to coordinate the diverse positions of regional players to help with the development and stability of the country.

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Afghanistan loses UN voting rights over unpaid dues

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(Last Updated On: May 14, 2024)

Afghanistan is facing another set back at the United Nations after its General Assembly voting rights were suspended due to unpaid fees.

Nasir Faiq, who has acted as Afghanistan’s representative at the UN says that failure to settle outstanding dues since the Islamic Emirate’s takeover in August 2021 led to the organization’s decision.

As a result, Afghanistan was unable to exercise its right to vote at the recent General Assembly vote concerning the recognition of the State of Palestine.

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200 booths at Kabul expo showcase women’s products

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(Last Updated On: May 13, 2024)

In the national and international expo of Industry Week, which opened in Kabul on Sunday, 200 booths are dedicated to women’s products.

The seven-day expo in Chaman Huzuri area has 800 booths in total.

Women have also put their products, handicrafts and paintings on display.

“This exhibition is very good,” said Mahnaz, a participant of the expo. “People encourage us a lot which makes us proud. But so far, we could not sell because the people’s economy has become very weak.”

Like Mahnaz, there are many women who play their role in the economic growth of individuals and the country, and through commercial activities, they want to convey the message that Afghan women have the capabilities in various sectors, especially business, although they do not seem satisfied enough with their sales.

“They (authorities) should provide us with the ground for growth; allow us to grow in different fields; Afghanistan has many talents in every field,” said Noreen, a participant of the expo.

The visitors also emphasize on supporting women in business and on the use of women’s products.

“This exhibition has a very positive effect on Afghan girls. They can showcase their products and promote their businesses,” said Zakira, a visitor.

Organizers say that women have showcased mostly handicrafts, hand-made dresses, food and non-food items.

According to the statistics of the Afghanistan International Expo Center, in the past year, nearly 10 joint expos of Afghan products with countries such as Qatar, Oman, Iran, Turkey, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan were held in Kabul.

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