German firefighters help Spanish colleagues tackle wildfiresÂ
Firefighters from North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony have arrived in Spain to help control the devastating wildfires.
The 67 firefighters along with 23 vehicles were set to travel from San Sebastián in the Basque Country to the Extremadura region on Tuesday, some 700 kilometres south-west, according to the fire brigade in Bonn. They are set to provide assistance as a major forest fire rages around the town of Jarilla.
The massive fires raging in western Spain had on Tuesday burned over 100,000 hectares (nearly 250,000 acres) in less than two weeks.
According to the European Forest Fire Information System Effis, 370,000 hectares of land have burned since the beginning of the year in Spain's worst forest fire season to date – more than ever before in a whole year.
After 16 days of scorching heat, hitting 40C in many parts of Spain, Tuesday saw lower temperatures and higher air humidity across the country.
The improved weather conditions gave firefighters some hope in the mammoth task.Â
Suspect charged over deadly German Christmas market attack
The Saudi suspect in a deadly attack on a Christmas market in eastern Germany in December will face six charges of murder and 338 of attempted murder, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Fifty-year-old psychiatrist Taleb Jawad al-Abdulmohsen is accused of driving a rented SUV at high speed into the crowded market in the city of Magdeburg on December 20th last year.
Abdulmohsen was arrested near the scene shortly after the attack, which left six people dead and hundreds wounded.
According to a statement from prosecutors Abdulmohsen, who has been living in Germany since 2006, acted alone with the intention of killing "as many people as possible".
They say he acted out of "unhappiness and frustration" over the outcome of several legal proceedings.
In January, the then Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said that Abdulmohsen's erratic behaviour had come to the attention of law enforcement on at least 105 occasions before the attack.
READ ALSO:Â Germany pledges security inquest into German market attack
Chaos at Bavaria's Eibsee prompts concerns of mass tourism
Hours of traffic jams, overcrowded buses and frustrated residents – there have been chaotic scenes at vacation spot Eibsee in recent days.
The lake, in the southwest of Germany, has seen hordes of visitors, prompting fears of mass tourism.Â
Videos shared on social media and reports by regional broadcasters show passengers trying to push onto buses, while long queues of cars travel through the area.
Local resident Andreas Neuner told Bavarian broadcaster BR24 that scuffles break out when the area is busy. "Sometimes the scenes are really unimaginable, almost inhuman," he said.
One of the biggest problems, according to locals, is the Deutschlandticket, which allows people to use public transport all over Germany for just €58 per month.Â
While this is great for commuters, "for tourist destinations near large cities, it is an insane strain on public transport," said Stephan Märkl.Â
The Eibsee is one of Germany's most beautiful lakes and is well known for attracting both German holidaymakers and those from further afield.Â
READ ALSO: Five of Germany's busiest tourist attracts and where to go instead
Former transport minister reportedly charged with making false statements
The Berlin public prosecutor's office has brought charges against former Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer, of the CSU, for allegedly making false statements before the Bundestag's toll investigation committee, it emerged on Wednesday morning.
The matter reportedly concerns statements made by the Christian Social Union politician about the failed car toll, known in Germany as the Pkw-Maut.Â
DPA reported the developments, citing a spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office.
Former State Secretary Gerhard Schulz has also been charged, DPA said.Â
The toll was a planned, but ultimately unsuccessful, initiative to charge drivers a fee for using German roads, particularly autobahns.
Record number of visitors flock to Gamescom trade show in Cologne
A twisted futuristic version of "Call of Duty", Batman in Lego form and the "Resident Evil" series' ghoulish monsters had gamers salivating as the vast Gamescom trade show opened in Cologne on Tuesday.
A two-hour showcase of upcoming releases, including "Call of Duty: Black Ops 7" slated for November 14th, belied an industry that has been weathering a rough patch with tens of thousands of job cuts.
The first-person shooter has enlisted American actor Milo Ventimiglia (known for TV series "Heroes" and "This Is Us") as its protagonist in a near-future conflict against psychedelic backdrops evoking the movie "Inception".
More than 5,300 people packed one of the giant halls of western German city Cologne's convention centre, a record opening night according to organisers.
While last year's Gamescom drew 335,000 visitors, organisers hope 2025 can recover to pre-Covid levels of around 370,000 between Wednesday and Sunday.
The event showed off footage from titles like "Requiem" -- the next instalment in the long-running "Resident Evil" horror series – and rambunctious space adventure "The Outer Worlds 2".
Set for a 2026 release, a new "Lego Batman" will take fans back to "iconic moments and deep-cut references from decades of Batman TV shows, comics and games" in humourous plastic brick form, director Jonathan Smith told the audience.
With reporting from AFP and DPA
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