India marks inclusion of 12 Maratha forts on UNESCO World Heritage List

MADRID: A firefighter died when his truck flipped over in northwestern Spain, authorities said Monday, bringing the death toll from more than a week of forest fires hitting the country to four.

The firefighter and truck involved in the crash were part of the operation battling blazes in the region of Castilla and Leon, the regional government said on X, as Spain reeled from a series of fires fueled by a summer heatwave.

TOKYO: Germany’s foreign minister hit out Monday at what he called China’s repeated threats to “unilaterally change” borders in the Asia-Pacific region, calling Beijing “increasingly aggressive.”

“China repeatedly threatens, more or less openly, to unilaterally change the status quo and shift borders in its favor,” Johann Wadephul said in Japan, citing China’s behavior in the Taiwan Strait and the East and South China Seas.

“Any escalation in this sensitive hub of international trade would have serious consequences for global security and the world economy,” Wadephul said after talks with Japanese counterpart Takeshi Iwaya.

A statement issued on Sunday before Wadephul’s visit to Japan — and later Indonesia — said that China was “increasingly asserting its regional supremacy and, in doing so, is also questioning principles of international law.”

“China’s increasingly aggressive behavior in the Taiwan Strait and the East and South China Seas also has implications for us in Europe: fundamental principles of our global coexistence are at stake here,” the statement quoted Wadephul as saying.

In the joint press statement in Tokyo, Wadephul also criticized “China’s support for the Russian war machine” in Ukraine.

“Without it, the war of aggression against Ukraine would not be possible. China is Russia’s largest supplier of dual-use goods and Russia’s best oil and gas customer,” Wadephul said.

He also said ahead of talks later Monday between US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders that security guarantees for Kyiv were “crucial.”

Trump’s summit on Friday with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska “made it clear that for a just and lasting peace, Moscow must finally act. Until that happens, pressure on Russia must be increased, including with increased aid to Ukraine,” Wadephul said.

The talks on Monday in Washington are about establishing “the elements of a negotiated solution on the path to a just peace for Ukraine,” he said.

“Firm security guarantees are crucial for this. Because Ukraine must be able to defend itself effectively even after a ceasefire and peace agreement.”