By Ismail Shakil OTTAWA Firefighters in Alberta are on high alert for a surge in blazes over a

First came the castle

As participants at the United Nations’ COP28 climate talks filed in for another day of talks, they found themselves greeted by a rare sight in the United Arab Emirates — a protest

Portugal’s Prime Minister Antonio Costa has resigned in a televised address, just hours after prosecutors detained his chief of staff in a probe into alleged corruption in his administration's handling of lithium mining and hydrogen projects. The 62-year-old, Portugal's Socialist leader since 2015, asserted his innocence but said that "in these circumstances, obviously, I have presented my resignation to the president of the republic". The state prosecutor's office said the Supreme Court was examining suspects' "use of the prime minister's name and his involvement" when carrying out allegedly illicit activities. It said the minister of infrastructure, Joao Galamba, and the head of the environmental agency were among those named as suspects. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa quickly accepted Mr Costa's resignation. He is expected to dissolve parliament and call for a new election. He said in a statement that he is calling parliament to convene on Wednesday, and he will speak to the nation after the Council of State gathers on Thursday. The prime minister teared up while thanking his family for their support. "I totally trust the justice system," he said. "I want to say eye to eye to the Portuguese that my conscience is clear of any illicit or censured act." He acknowledged that he was not "above the law". An investigative judge had issued arrest warrants for Mr Costa's chief of staff Vitor Escaria, the mayor of the town of Sines, and three other people because they represented a flight risk and to protect evidence, the prosecutor's office said in a statement. The judge is investigating alleged malfeasance, corruption of elected officials and influence peddling related to lithium mine concessions near Portugal's northern border with Spain and plans for a green hydrogen plant and data centre in Sines on the south coast. The police raids included the premises of the ministry of the environment, the ministry of infrastructure, Sines town council, private homes and offices. Portugal's lithium mines and green hydrogen projects are part of the continent's green initiative being pushed, and heavily funded, by the European Union. Mr Costa has been a major backer of the projects and an ally of Spain's acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. He had looked set to remain in power for several years after his Socialists scored a landslide victory in elections last year, but in December 2022, his infrastructure and housing minister was forced to quit amid an outcry over a €500,000 (£434,000) compensation payment made to a board member of state-owned flag carrier TAP Air Portugal. The junior minister for infrastructure also stepped down. Ten senior government officials have left their jobs since Mr Costa's party won the 2022 ballot. Mr Costa said he had no prior indication he was being scrutinised by legal authorities. "This is a phase of my life that comes to an end," he said. Associated Press Read More Hundreds gather at vigil held for Ukrainian soldiers killed in missile attack Where the GOP presidential candidates stand on the war in Ukraine Orcas sink another yacht in relentless 45-minute attack Hundreds gather at vigil held for Ukrainian soldiers killed in missile attack Where the GOP presidential candidates stand on the war in Ukraine Orcas sink another yacht in relentless 45-minute attack

Bulgaria’s chief prosecutor has launched an investigation into the country’s soccer management

Magma may have reached very high up in the Earth’s crust, according to Iceland’s meteorological office, which says people will have to “wait in suspense for the next few days” to see how events play out. “While there is still magma flow into the corridor, and while our data and models show that, that probability is imminent, and we really just have to wait in suspense for the next few days to see what happens,” Kristín Jónsdóttir, head of department at the Icelandic Meteorological Office, said. She said the decreasing earthquake activity over the last 24 hours could be a sign that magma has reached very high up in the earth’s crust, adding that the scenario is not unlike what was seen prior to a previous eruption in 2021. The Met Office said magmatic gas has been detected at a borehole in Svartsengi, signalling an imminent eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano over the coming days, with the town of Grindavik most at risk. “Hagafell is thought to be a prime location for an eruption,” the forecaster said. An eruption is now feared by many experts to be a case of when, not if. “I do think an eruption will take place, but the big question is when that might happen,” Dr Margaret Hartley, of the University of Manchester, told Live Science. Read More Biggest volcanic eruptions in the last 10 years as Iceland town faces devastation ‘It’s like a dystopian movie’: Iceland residents describe ‘apocalyptic’ scenes as they flee volcano threat Iceland earthquakes: Are flights still running amid fears of volcano eruption? Is it safe to travel to Iceland? Your rights if you have a holiday booked

A strike at a major Australian gas plant had threatened to disrupt global supplies.

Leafing through the leather-bound menu at a classic Rio de Janeiro restaurant, the tile-floored, wood-paneled Armazem Sao Thiago, 28-year-old Paula Cardoso says something that amounts to heresy in this establishment...

Germany suffered its first recession since the start of pandemic, extinguishing hopes that Europe’s top economy could escape

Spanish soccer star Aitana Bonmatí has used her acceptance speech at a UEFA awards ceremony to voice support for her teammate who was forcibly kissed after the Women’s World Cup final by the country’s soccer federation president

It’s a transaction that would be commonplace for a corporation or a sports team, but it’s the kind of deal that is practically unheard of in the nonprofit sector

US employers picked up their hiring pace unexpectedly in September while unemployment held steady, government data showed on Friday, adding pressure on policymakers...