July 25 1200 UTC Brief

In climate and wildfire news France, Spain, and parts of the UK are still dealing with a punishing stretch of heat and fire. More than 250,000 people have been evacuated as major wildfires spread in France and Spain, while in Scotland police have declared a major incident over a blaze in the Cairngorms that has already pushed some residents in Nethy Bridge out of their homes. Britain is also heading into another hot spell, with temperatures in England and Wales potentially reaching 35C next week. Natural Resources Wales has declared drought in parts of Wales after record dry conditions, low river flows, and rising wildfire risk. In Britain In Essex, at least 20 firefighters were taken to hospital after an explosion and major fire at an industrial unit on Southend Road between East Hanningfield and Rettendon. Three fire engines and two officer cars were destroyed, and crews are still working at the scene after the incident, which was linked to a fertiliser explosion inside one of the units. Separately, a man in his 20s from Kent has died after an A20 crash, and police have arrested another man, also in his 20s, on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. And in Cyprus, the family of a British father charged over the death of his two-year-old son is asking Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband to help bring him back to the UK for the child’s funeral. The boy died after falling from a hotel balcony area in Paphos on 12 July, and the case is still ongoing. In India India’s education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, has resigned after weeks of student protests over a paper leak scandal. The protests have been a rare political setback for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the same online spaces that helped build his brand are now being used by young demonstrators to mock his government. In the United States Donald Trump drew backlash in Washington after using a rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association dinner speech to joke about gunfire at a previous event. Viewers called the remark offensive and vicious. In international news At least 35 people were killed in Syria when two buses collided. Details are still limited, but the crash is being reported as a major breaking story.