Earth ChangesS


Fire

How arsonists used cats to spread Italy's wildfires

Max Saltman , Sharon Braithwaite
CNN
Wed, 22 Jul 2026 11:37 UTC
Firefighting aircraft and helicopters try
© Alberto Lo BiancoFirefighting aircraft and helicopters try to bring a fire under control on the slopes of Mount Longa near Palermo, Sicily, Italy, on July 15, 2026. Officials in Calabria, a different region north of Sicily, say arsonists there set wildfires using cats with flammable rags tied to their tails.
As wildfires blazed in southern Italy this week, authorities probing for arson found a grisly clue: cats "with flammable-soaked rags tied to their tails."

"These animals were released into the fields, running around and spreading the fire," said Domenico Costarella of Calabria's Civil Protection Agency in a video posted on Facebook on Tuesday. He added that other pieces of evidence also pointed to arson, including candles lit among flammable rags and delayed ignition devices.

Firefighters are still working to contain blazes around Calabria's Pollino National Park, according to Italian broadcaster RAI, which reported Wednesday that firefighting teams have completed more than 160 missions within Calabria in the past 24 hours.

According to CNN's Italian affiliate SkyTG24, the Italian Association for the Defense of Animals and the Environment has filed a criminal complaint and offered a 1,000 euro reward for information on who may have set the cats alight.
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Tornado2

Waterspout spotted over Delaware Bay


ABC News
Wed, 22 Jul 2026 10:51 UTC
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A waterspout was spotted Tuesday by a passenger aboard the Cape May-Lewes Ferry connecting New Jersey and Delaware.

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Tornado1

Powerful tornado in Batam, Indonesia


Mehr News Agency
Wed, 22 Jul 2026 10:18 UTC
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A powerful tornado ripped through Batam, Indonesia on Tuesday.

A powerful tornado violently tore through the PT VME Process construction site, sending workers scrambling for safety in this Asian country.

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Cloud Lightning

31 killed, over 120 injured in rain-related incidents as monsoon lashes Pakistan


Daily Excelsior
Thu, 23 Jul 2026 10:01 UTC
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At least 31 people were killed and over 120 injured in separate rain-related incidents across Pakistan over the past week, officials said on Wednesday.

Pakistan has witnessed intense monsoon activity this month, with heavy rains triggering flash floods, roof and wall collapses, and electrocution incidents across the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast more rain in the coming days, prompting authorities to keep rescue teams on high alert.

At least 17 people, including children, were killed and 107 injured in rain-related incidents across Punjab since the latest monsoon spell began earlier this week, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).

The PDMA said 12 of the deaths were caused by the collapse of old and dilapidated buildings, while two people were killed in lightning strikes and three died of electrocution.

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Lightning

Lightning strike kills two children in Vietnam


dtinews.dantri.com.vn
Thu, 23 Jul 2026 09:55 UTC
Officials from Muong Nhe Commune offer condolences to the family on July 22.
Officials from Muong Nhe Commune offer condolences to the family on July 22.
Two children were killed and their mother injured after lightning struck during a thunderstorm in Dien Bien Province, local authorities said.

Two children died and their mother was injured after being struck by lightning during a thunderstorm in Muong Nhe Commune, Dien Bien Province, on the evening of July 22.

According to the Dien Bien Department of Agriculture and Environment, the incident occurred at about 6 pm as thunderstorms swept through the area.

The victims were identified as Giang Thi Bia, born in 1990, and her two daughters, Vu Thi Nhi, born in 2015, and Vu Thi Le, born in 2021. The three were returning home from working in the fields when lightning struck them about 100 metres from their house in Xi Ma Village.

Bia sustained injuries, while both children died at the scene.
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Tsunami

Heavy rain caused flash floods in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia on July 18


Malay Mail
Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:02 UTC
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The flash floods that hit several areas in Petaling Jaya on Saturday were likely caused by exceptionally heavy rainfall over a short period, which exceeded the capacity of existing drainage systems, according to Selangor Infrastructure and Agriculture Committee chairman Datuk Izham Hashim.

Izham said preliminary assessments also pointed to localised factors as contributing to the flooding despite various flood mitigation measures, including the construction of the FAS Tunnel.

"Besides unusually heavy rainfall over a short period, local factors such as narrowed drainage channels, obstructions to water flow and the increase in paved surfaces have resulted in higher surface water runoff," he told Astro Awani yesterday.

He said the Selangor government, through the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and relevant technical agencies, is carrying out a detailed investigation to determine the specific causes of flooding at each affected location.

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Tsunami

11 dead, 360,00 affected as flood situation in Assam, India remains grim


rediff.com
Tue, 21 Jul 2026 12:47 UTC
In many parts of Upper Assam, floodwaters have entered residential areas, severed road connectivity and submerged vast stretches of agricultural land.
In many parts of Upper Assam, floodwaters have entered residential areas, severed road connectivity and submerged vast stretches of agricultural land.
The toll in Assam floods increased to 11 with one more fatality reported on Tuesday even as over 3.10 lakh people remained affected by the deluge in 11 districts, officials said.

Several major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, Dikhow, Desang and Dhansiri, were flowing above the danger level in different parts of the state, with some of the water bodies having breached the "extreme flood" level.

Relief and rescue operations were being carried out by multiple agencies, including the Army, NDRF, SDRF and Fire and Emergency Services.

Train services remained affected for the second day as floodwaters inundated tracks in parts of Upper Assam, with the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) cancelling, short-terminating or diverting several trains and also announcing special trains for stranded passengers.


Comment: (1 Lakh = 100,000)

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Doberman

Man killed by pack of dogs on trail in Henning, Tennessee

Melissa Moon
wreg.com
Mon, 20 Jul 2026 12:04 UTC
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The Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office says a man died after being attacked by a pack of dogs early Monday morning in Henning, Tennessee.

Deputies say the man was walking on a trail at the old Palmer Turner School in Henning at around 7 a.m. when he was mauled by several stray dogs.

At approximately 7:12 a.m., deputies with the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office responded to the area of 655 S. Church Street in Henning after receiving a report of a deceased individual.

Based on the preliminary investigation, investigators observed injuries believed to be consistent with an animal attack.

Detectives said surveillance video from the area appears to show a dog running in the direction of the victim shortly before he was discovered.

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Tsunami

Chile declares state of emergency over deadly rainfall


France24
Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:50 UTC
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Heavy rainfall in Chile has killed at least 10 people and destroyed or severely damaged over 1,000 homes, officials said Monday, as the government declared a state of emergency.

Since last week, rain has lashed the typically arid northern regions of Coquimbo and Atacama, where such intense levels of precipitation are highly unusual.

At least 10 people have died, 17 have suffered injuries and four have been reported missing, Alicia Cebrian, director of Chile's SENAPRED national emergency service, told a press briefing Monday.

Over 1,100 homes have been destroyed or severely damaged due to the extreme weather, according to official figures.

The "increasingly serious" conditions prompted President Jose Antonio Kast to declare a state of emergency in the affected areas on Monday, he announced to the press.

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Tsunami

Flash floods kill at least 23 in eastern Afghanistan, some 100 missing


anews.com.tr
Tue, 21 Jul 2026 09:13 UTC
A devastating landslide and flash flood swept through Parun, Nuristan Province
A devastating landslide and flash flood swept through Parun, Nuristan Province
At least 23 people have died after flash floods swept through Afghanistan's eastern Nuristan province, with dozens injured and around 100 still missing as rescue efforts continue.

At least 23 people have been confirmed dead after flash floods swept through Afghanistan's eastern Nuristan province, the country's National Disaster Management Authority said on Tuesday.

According to preliminary reports from the authorities, 15 bodies have been recovered, around 80 people were wounded and about 100 others remain missing. Search and rescue operations are continuing in Parun, the provincial capital, and surrounding areas.

Deadly flooding has repeatedly struck Afghanistan in recent years, causing significant casualties and widespread damage to homes, infrastructure and agricultural land.

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