World News: Wildfires rage across southern Europe as temperatures top 40C

This is the World Now, bringing you the latest stories from around the globe. From Spain to the Balkans, a severe heatwave is driving temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius and fires have broken out across southern Europe, resulting in three deaths and forcing thousands to evacuate. In Spain, a wildfire near Madrid resulted in one death late Monday and forced the evacuation of 180 people. Another person died fighting fires in northwest Spain, while in southern Spain's Cadiz region, over 2,000 tourists and residents were evacuated from hotels and beaches as a fast-moving blaze filled the skies with black smoke. Spain's military said on Tuesday that nearly 1,000 soldiers have been deployed to combat wildfires across the country. Greece, which is facing more than 100 wildfires, has requested emergency assistance including water-dropping planes from the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. Wildfires have broken out in several other countries. One person fighting fires in Montenegro died when a water tanker overturned, while in Turkiye, around 50,000 people have been evacuated due to fires. Scientists warn that climate change is turning southern Europe into a tinderbox due to rising temperatures and prolonged droughts. Egypt has announced that Cairo is actively engaging with Qatar and the United States as mediators to negotiate a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. During a news conference on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stated that Egypt is "working very hard in full cooperation with the Qataris and Americans" to revive a previous ceasefire proposal. This plan includes a 60-day truce, conditional releases of hostages and Palestinian detainees, and unrestricted access for humanitarian aid into Gaza. Abdelatty emphasized that discussions are ongoing with both Hamas and Israeli authorities, based on a recent initiative from the U.S. and Qatar. Last month, negotiations in Doha failed to achieve a breakthrough for a ceasefire and the release of hostages, as Israel and the U.S. withdrew their delegations, citing unacceptable demands from Hamas. In France, a swarm of jellyfish caused a temporary shutdown of four of the six reactors at the Gravelines nuclear power plant, one of the country's largest, as of Monday morning, after clogging the cooling system's filters. EDF, the company that operates the plant, stated that teams are conducting inspections to restart the site "in complete safety," and that the reactors that were shut down are expected to restart on Thursday. While the company reassured that no safety or environmental risks were linked to the incident, experts warn that an increase in jellyfish blooms exacerbated by climate change is increasing the risk of power plant interruptions. Finally, in South Africa's Adventures With Elephants sanctuary in Bela-Bela, visitors celebrated World Elephant Day on Tuesday by interacting with a herd of rescued African elephants. As part of what was described as a rare and respectful opportunity to connect with the animals firsthand, visitors had the chance to feed and touch the largest mammals on earth. A special tour commemorating the day also included the reserve's educational team, which informed visitors about the history of elephants and emphasized their intelligence and memory. Choi, Chi-hee, Arirang News.