05/07/2025

SATURDAY | JULY 5, 2025

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Thousands flee wildfires in Greece and Turkiye

de Aragua gang involved in an “invasion” of the United States. The US Supreme Court blocked further deportations under the Act in May, saying the deported migrants were not being given enough time to legally contest their removal. Abrego Garcia had been living in the United States under protected legal status since 2019, when a judge ruled that he should not be deported because he could be harmed in his home country. His lawyers have taken an unusual step by asking a judge to delay his release from prison ahead of his trial on the human smuggling charges, fearing that he could be taken into custody by federal immigration agents and deported again. – AFP DES MOINES: US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he is planning to bring an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event to the White House next year to help celebrate the 250th anniversary of the country’s declaration of independence. “We are going to have a UFC fight on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there.” UFC and its parent company TKO Group Holdings did not immediately respond to a request for comment. – Reuters 200 MARINES DEPLOYED TO FLORIDA TO ASSIST I.C.E. WASHINGTON: Around 200 Marines were deployed to Florida on Thursday to provide administrative and logistical support for immigration enforcement raids happening in the southeastern state. The deployment is the first round of several requested by the US Homeland Security Department to help its Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency facilitate President Donald Trump’s migrant crackdown. “Service members participating in this mission will perform strictly non-law enforcement duties within ICE facilities,“ US Northern Command said. “Their roles will focus on administrative and logistical tasks.” – AFP WORKERS PUT ON LEAVE AFTER CRITICISING TRUMP WASHINGTON: The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has placed 139 employees on administrative leave after they signed a letter critical of President Donald Trump’s policies, with the EPA saying it has “zero-tolerance” for those sabotaging the government’s agenda. The letter accused the federal government of engaging in“harmful deregulation“, “ignoring scientific consensus to benefit polluters” and “promoting a culture of fear” within the agency. The letter comes as the agency undergoes a major reorganisation, including the dissolution of its office of research and the cancelling of billions of dollars in grants. A similar declaration was sent in June by employees of the National Institutes of Health to its director to protest politicisation of research and disruption of scientific progress. – Reuters PLANS FOR WHITE HOUSE UFC FIGHT NEXT YEAR

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ATHENS: Officials on the southern Greek island of Crete evacuated thousands of people from wildfires while two people died in neighbouring Turkiye as fires took hold in the western province of Izmir on Thursday. About 30km east of Athens, another fire broke out near the port of Rafina on Thursday, local officials said. Hot and dry weather in Greece has heightened the risk of a repeat of the summer wildfires that have hit the country in recent years. Turkiye, although spared from the recent heatwaves that gripped southern Europe, has battled the effects of a long-term drought likely brought on by climate change. On Crete, about 5,000 people were evacuated after a blaze that broke out on Wednesday, said regional hotel association president Yorgos Tzarakis on Thursday. He said about 3,000 tourists and 2,000 residents have been moved, mostly overnight, as a precaution from areas close to the Crete resort town of Ierapetra in the southeast. He also said most of the tourists have been evacuated to the north of the island. Vice-prefect Yannis Androulakis told Greek broadcaster Mega that officials ordered the evacuations because water bomber aeroplanes have not been able to reach the affected areas. Strong winds on three active fronts helped the fire progress, some reaching nine on the Beaufort scale, he said. The inaccessible terrain in Crete, Greece’s largest island, has also hampered the work of firefighters. In Turkiye, two wildfires broke out near Izmir, its third-largest city. In each case, three villages were evacuated. “An elderly, bedridden patient as precaution: Hotel association president o 3,000 tourists, 2,000 residents moved

Suleyman said the main problem had been wind speeds and their constant changes of direction. – AFPPIC

in prison. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, an ally of Trump, denied the claims. “The man was not tortured, nor did he lose weight. In fact, photos show he gained weight while in detention,“ he said on Thursday in a post on X. “Apparently, anything a criminal claims is accepted as truth by the mainstream media and the crumbling Western judiciary.” Abrego Garcia was among a group of 238 Venezuelans and 23 Salvadorans deported to El Salvador by the United States on March 15. The Trump administration invoked an obscure wartime law, the Alien Enemies Act 1798, to justify the removal of the Venezuelans, accusing them of being members of the Tren forecast in the Athens region in the coming days. The risk of fires is “considerable” in July, the hottest month of the year in Greece, said Vathrakoyannis. The country recorded its hottest ever summer last year, when 45,000ha of land was razed, according to WWF Greece and the Athens National Observatory. In terms of surface area destroyed, 2023 was the worst on record. Nearly 175,000ha were scorched and 20 people died during heatwaves when temperatures rose in places to 46°C. Experts say human-driven climate change is causing more frequent and intense wildfires and other natural disasters, and have warned Turkiye to take measures to address the problem. – AFP

those since controlled, had been caused by power cables, he said. Meteorologist Ismail Kucuk, citing Forestry Ministry figures, told AFP that “90% of forest fires” are due to man-made causes. Power cables in particular pose a risk if not properly maintained, he added. The fire near Athens has destroted five or six houses, a local mayor told ERT public television. Fire service spokesperson Vassilios Vathrakoyannis said about 170 firefighters, 17 firefighting planes, 48 fire engines and seven helicopters were fighting the blaze. Firefighters have evacuated 300 people and rescued 51, he added. But their task could be complicated by the higher temperatures and strong winds

In a filing with a US district court in Maryland, where Abrego Garcia resided until his deportation, his lawyers provided details about his treatment at the Salvadoran prison. “He was subjected to severe mistreatment upon arrival at Cecot, including but not limited to severe beatings, severe sleep deprivation, inadequate nutrition and psychological torture.“ When he arrived, Abrego Garcia and other detainees were greeted by a prison official who reportedly said: “Welcome to Cecot. Whoever enters here does not leave.” He was forced to strip and “kicked in the legs with boots and struck on could not be saved,” said opposition CHP party lawmaker Salih Uzun of the blaze close to Odemis. A forest worker in the same area died as he battled the blazes, Agriculture Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said on X. Izmir Governor Suleyman Elban said the main problem had been wind speeds of up to 85kph and their constant changes of direction. “The intervention from land and air is seriously challenging,” he told reporters. He added that the flames have cut off the main highway from Izmir. Firefighters backed by fire engines and firefighting aircraft were battling the flames, said Suleyman. Both fires in the province, as well as others over the weekend and

Wrongly deported man beaten in El Salvador prison: Lawyers WASHINGTON: A Salvadoran man has been beaten and suffered psychological torture after being wrongly deported from the United States to a notorious prison in El Salvador, his lawyers said in a court filing. smuggling charges in the southern state of Tennessee. his head and arms”. His head was shaved and he was struck with wooden batons while being frog-marched to a cell, leaving him with bruises all over his body.

“Abrego Garcia and 20 other Salvadorans were forced to kneel from about 9pm to 6am (0300 to 1200 GMT), with guards striking anyone who fell from exhaustion. During this time, Abrego Garcia was denied bathroom access and soiled himself,” his lawyers said. The prisoners were confined to metal bunks with no mattresses in an overcrowded cell with no windows and bright lights that remained on 24 hours a day. His lawyers said Abrego Garcia lost 14kg during his first two weeks

Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, 30, was summarily deported to the maximum security Cecot prison in El Salvador in March as part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on undocumented migrants. Justice Department lawyers later admitted that Abrego Garcia, who is married to a US citizen, was wrongly removed due to an “administrative error”. He was brought back to the United States last month to face human