News in Brief
MPs debates no-confidence motion against Modi gov’t
AFP – India’s parliament debated a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government on Tuesday, a day after opposition leader Rahul Gandhi returned to the house.
The opposition Congress party launched the debate in a bid to force comment from Modi on months of deadly ethnic conflict in northeastern Manipur state, with a vote potentially to be held on Thursday.
Rains unleash landslides, flooding in Scandinavia
AFP – Heavy rains caused flooding and landslides in Sweden and Norway on Tuesday while strong winds caused a Danish wildfire to spread out of control, authorities said, with more heavy rain forecast.
A storm dubbed “Hans” swept in over the Nordic countries over the weekend, leaving a path of destruction.
Residents of the ski resort town of Are in northwestern Sweden were advised to stay clear of the Susabacken stream after it overflowed, sending mud and rocks coursing through the town and causing damage to roads and houses, Sweden’s crisis information website Krisinformation reported.
Over 1,000 evacuated as Portugal wildfire spreads
REUTERS – Hundreds of firefighters scrambled on Tuesday to put out a blaze raging in southern Portugal that has scorched thousands of hectares of land and forced the evacuation of around 1,400 people.
The wildfire, currently being tackled by over 850 firefighters and six water-bombing planes, started on Saturday in the municipality of Odemira, in the Alentejo region, but has since spread south towards the Algarve, one of Portugal’s top tourist destinations.
High temperatures and strong winds have complicated efforts to fight the flames..