Argentine Patagonia is going through a tragic summer, with at least five large fires that have already burned more than 20,000 hectares, including in two important national parks and in recent days also in the tourist town of El Bolsón, where the first fatality was recorded.
The five main foci are distributed between the provinces of Neuquén, Río Negro and Chubut, in the south of the country.
The most serious fire is that of the Nahuel Huapi National Park, located between Neuquén and Río Negro and where the fire, which originated at the end of last December, has destroyed more than 10,000 hectares in the Los Manzanos area and more than 600 in the El Manso sector, according to the latest figures released by the park authorities.
Adverse weather conditions, such as strong winds and high temperatures, have hindered the work of the nearly 200 brigade members who are struggling to contain the flames.
In the Lanín National Park, in Neuquén, the fire in the Magdalena Valley, which began in early January, has already affected more than 4,000 hectares and remains active despite the work of more than a hundred brigade members and volunteers.
The province of Chubut, further south of the country, is home to two other important foci. The main one is located in the town of Epuyén, where the fire has so far burned more than 3,500 hectares of vegetation, including thickets, pastures, plantations, shrubs and native forest, in addition to at least 70 homes.
In parallel, the province has registered another focus since last January 19, when the rural area of Atilio Viglione caught fire, where the flames continue to be active and more than 3,000 hectares have already burned.
The most recent fire started last Thursday in El Bolsón, a town located in Río Negro and known for being one of the most tourist destinations in Argentine Patagonia.
According to the latest report of the provincial government, about 2,800 hectares have already been burned and the death of a man of about 80 years old has been recorded.
More than 300 people work in the area to try to contain the flames, some of which do it on the ground and others by air, using three hydrant aircraft and two helicopters of the National Fire Management Service.
Both the governor of Río Negro, Alberto Weretilneck, and the governor of Chubut, Ignacio Torres, reported that the fires in their provinces were caused intentionally.
In addition, together with the governors of adjacent provinces, including that of Neuquén, they prepared a joint document in which they expressed the “support and commitment in the fight against fires that affect the mountain range area.”
“Today, more than ever, we are working together to fight fires and protect our communities,” they said in the statement.
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
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