•Spain’s Military Emergencies Unit (UME) and Castilla-y-Leon unit’s firefighters battle a fire in a forest next to La Atalaya residential area in El Tiemblo, 80 kms west of Madrid, on July 25, 2026. (Photo by Cesar MANSO / AFP via Getty Images)Cesar Manso | Afp | Getty Images

Wildfires are ravaging southern France and spreading into Spain, forcing more than 300,000 people to flee ahead of further expected heatwaves during the week.

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to hold a crisis cabinet meeting on Monday, while Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will visit areas hit by fires in Valencia, in the East of Spain.

The fire, which began in the Southwest of France in Gironde on Wednesday, has burned 42,000 hectares and has forced one of the largest evacuations in France’s history, according to French broadcaster France 24 and local news outlets.

The wildfires have also affected 77,000 hectares of the Avila and Toledo areas in Western Madrid.

The situation remains highly unfavorable,” France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on X on Saturday, according to a Google translation.

“At the start of the night, in Gironde, the fire became extremely virulent and unpredictable again, generating its own wind and spreading erratically toward the Bordeaux metropolitan area. By the end of the night, it had calmed down somewhat.”

Source: CNBC

[File photo] UK PM, Andy Burnham

The United Kingdom has released updated lists of items travellers can and cannot bring into the country.

The updated guidance warned that failure to comply with customs regulations could lead to confiscation of goods, fines or even prosecution.

In the new listings while visitors are allowed to bring a range of personal belongings into the UK without paying customs duty or tax, strict limits apply to alcohol, tobacco and the value of other goods.

Certain items are also completely banned, while others require permits or licences before they can be imported.

Senator Ambassador Ita Solomon Enang, LLD, OFR, has formally presented his Letters of Credence to the Federal President of Germany, His Excellency Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in Berlin.

The solemn ceremony, conducted in accordance with diplomatic tradition, included a welcome parade by the German military, the signing of the Accreditation Register at the Presidency, and the formal presentation of credentials. President Steinmeier subsequently received Ambassador Enang for bilateral discussions.

Ambassador Enang expressed deep gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the honour of his appointment as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany.

During the talks, President Steinmeier commended the excellent relations between Nigeria and Germany. He recalled state visits and meetings on the sidelines of multilateral forums, and noted the swift processing of Germany’s incoming Ambassador to Nigeria.

Discussions focused on strengthening economic ties, particularly in the power sector, including off-grid technology and Siemens projects; agriculture and food security; citizen diplomacy; and migration and consular matters. Emphasis was placed on opportunities for skilled Nigerians in medicine, technology, IT, artificial intelligence and other fields under a proposed formal Nigeria-Germany migration agreement.

The two sides also addressed Nigeria’s leadership role in ECOWAS and the importance of engaging Sahelian states that have left the regional body for improved security coordination. Other topics included attracting German automobile assembly plants to Nigeria to promote local manufacturing, technology transfer and job creation, rather than continuing imports of fully assembled vehicles.

They reviewed Germany’s role as guarantor of the Green Tree Agreement following the International Court of Justice ruling on the Nigeria-Cameroon land and maritime boundary, including issues related to Bakassi and population displacements. Interest from German firms in capturing flared gas in the Niger Delta for electricity generation, as well as Nigerian oil’s place in the German economy, was also discussed.

Ambassador Enang conveyed the Federal Government of Nigeria’s appreciation for the humanitarian aid donation announced by German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul during a courtesy call on Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, on 22 July 2026.

Both sides noted the strong personal relations between President Tinubu and President Steinmeier and discussed the value of further high-level state visits. The audience was attended by designated federal ministers and named members of the German Federal Government.

The meeting concluded with an exchange of memorabilia involving officials of the German Federal Foreign Office, the Nigerian Mission in Berlin and the visiting delegation. Ambassador Enang was accompanied by Deputy Head of Mission Ambassador Bashir, Head of Chancery H.E. Dr (Mrs) Chioma Haidara, his wife H.E. Dr (Mrs) Rosemary Ita Enang, his son Mr Charles Ita Enang and his daughter Engr Dr Roses Ita Enang.

As the ceremony closed, a detachment of the German military rendered honours while the Nigerian flag was simultaneously hoisted at the Presidency of the Federal Republic of Germany.