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(NEW YORK) — Boreal forests in regions all over the world have been experiencing the worst wildfires in recorded history in 2023, according to new research.

Record-breaking wildfires have been especially scorching boreal forests across the Northern Hemisphere this year, according to a report released Wednesday by Copernicus, the European Union’s climate change service.

In Canada, which broke the record in late June for wildfire smoke emissions released in a single year, wildfires began raging in May, long before the start of the fire season, and are still burning with fervor.

The total wildfire emissions for 2023 is estimated to be almost 410 megatonnes, the highest on record for Canada by a wide margin, according to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service dataset, which provides information on the location, intensity, and estimated emission of wildfires around the world. The previous annual record was set in 2014 at 138 megatonnes of carbon.

At this point, Canada wildfire emissions represent 27% of the total global wildfire carbon emission for 2023, the report states.

More than 42 million acres have burned across Canada so far this year, more than doubling the previous record, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. As of Wednesday, the acreage burned is more than 600% higher than the current year-to-date average.

Canada’s record-breaking and devastating wildfire season severely impacted air quality not only in Canada but other regions of North America. Some locations in the Northeast recorded their worst air quality in decades, and the wildfire smoke extended as far down as the Southeast U.S.

The severity of the wildfires can partly be attributed to warming temperatures all over the globe, CAMS senior scientist Mark Parrington said in a statement.

“As temperatures keep increasing and dry conditions become more long-term, the chances of experiencing devastating wildfires like those in Canada are increasing,” Parrington said.

Elsewhere in the world, significant wildfires also impacted Russia’s boreal forests, while devastating wildfires were also experienced in Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Maui, Hawaii.

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(LONDON) — A luxury cruise ship carrying 206 passengers has run aground off the coast of Greenland.

The Ocean Explorer, a 343-foot long and 60-foot wide ship, ran aground on Monday near Alpefjord in the Northeast Greenland National Park — a 375,000-square-mile area that is the most northerly national park in the world.

There have been no reports of damage to the ship.

“Arctic Command has been in contact with the cruise ship Ocean Explorer, which has stated that they are still grounded in the National Park,” the Joint Arctic Command said in a statement posted on social media. “This means that the tide, which came during the day local time, did not provide the desired help to sail on. Arctic Command is still in contact with relevant ships in the vicinity, which could be able to help the cruise ship free.”

Tarajoq, a Greenland Institute of Natural Resources fishing research ship, arrived at the site on Tuesday and attempted to pull the boat out. The attempt was unsuccessful.

Now the Knud Rasmussen, a Danish Navy ship, was headed to The Ocean Explorer for assistance.

“The crew in Knud Rasmussen is doing their best to get there as soon as possible. Due to the weather in the area where Knud Rasmussen is, the ship has had to slow down a bit,” Joint Arctic Command said in a statement Wednesday.

The U.S. State Department confirmed there were “several” Americans onboard the cruise ship, but did not have further details.

“Our staff in Greenland and Denmark, as well as here in the United States, are in contact with local authorities and other partner organizations,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement.

The cruise ship — belonging to Ulstein Group in Ulsteinvik, southern Norway — had its maiden voyage only two years ago in 2021, according to AE Expeditions. It features a gym, jacuzzi and off-boat excursions and offers state-of-the-art amenities and “maximum passenger comfort,” according to its website.

“Accommodating just 134 expeditioners, the Ocean Explorer was purpose-built for expedition travel to the world’s most remote destinations. This small ship is outfitted with the latest cutting-edge technology, sustainability and navigation capabilities,” AE Expeditions says on its website detailing the vessel.

Meanwhile, authorities have been in contact with another cruise ship in the area and it had been asked to remain nearby to assist should the situation develop, according to AP, and rescue efforts are currently underway on multiple fronts.

“The most important thing for us is that everyone gets to safety,” Jensen told the AP.

The National Park is so remote that only a limited number of people get the chance to visit each year, according to Greenland’s tourist board, and more people summit Mount Everest every year than there are visitors in The Northeast Greenland National Park.

ABC News’ Shannon Crawford contributed to this report.

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LONDON — The death toll from devastating floods in eastern Libya has reached 5,300, a local health official said Wednesday.

The number of deaths is expected to continue rising as search and rescue teams recover more bodies in what the United Nations has described as a “calamity of epic proportions.”

Another 10,000 people are believed to be missing and some 40,000 are displaced from their homes in the flood-hit areas, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Mediterranean storm Daniel is behind the widespread flooding in the North African nation, as it washed away entire neighborhoods over the weekend and swept bodies out to sea.

Libya’s National Center of Meteorology reported that more than 16 inches of rain fell in the northeastern city of Bayda within a 24-hour period to Sunday, according to the flood tracking website Floodlist.

The nearby port city of Derna was the worst affected following the collapse of two dams, which wiped out a quarter of the area. The city has been declared a disaster zone, with electricity and communication having been cut off, according to local officials.

In Derna alone, 6,000 people feared to be missing and more than 20,000 displaced, according to the International Rescue Committee, which described the flooding as an “unprecedented humanitarian crisis.”

Gen. Khalifa Haftar, head of the powerful Libyan military faction that controls the eastern part of the divided country, confirmed in a televised address on Tuesday that rescue and relief efforts were underway.

“We issued immediate instructions to use all our capabilities, provide the needed support of all urgent medical equipment, operate medical convoys and to allocate shelters to those who lost their homes,” Haftar said. “We have directed the government to form a specialized committee to assess the damage, instantly begin the reconstruction of roads to facilitate transportation, restore the electricity and to take all immediate and needed measures in that regards.”

The United States, Germany, Italy, Iran, Qatar and Turkey are among the countries that have said they have sent or are ready to send aid to Libya. But getting aid into the affected areas has proven difficult with many roads blocked.

Some aid has started to arrive, including from Egypt, but rescue efforts have also been hampered by the current political situation in Libya, with the country split between two warring governments — one in the east and the other in the west.

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(FIGUEIROPÓLIS, Brazil) — A convicted murderer who had eluded capture since escaping from a Pennsylvania prison nearly two weeks ago is accused of committing a separate slaying in his home country of Brazil in 2017.

Danelo Cavalcante, 34, allegedly shot his friend Valter Junior Moreira dos Reis five times in the remote town of Figueirópolis in the northern Brazilian state of Tocantins in 2017. A motive for the alleged murder was unknown, according to documents from the Brazilian Ministry of Justice and Public Security.

A warrant was issued for Cavalcante’s arrest on Nov. 13, 2017, but he had already fled Tocantins. State authorities had not sent the arrest order to the national warrant judiciary system, according to the documents.

In January 2018, Cavalcante was able to board a flight using his own passport in Brasilia and travel to Florida via Puerto Rico, entering the United States illegally. His trial in Brazil has been suspended until now. The next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 11, according to the documents.

Cavalcante absconded from the Chester County Prison in southeastern Pennsylvania on Aug. 31, while awaiting transfer to a state prison to serve a life sentence without parole for fatally stabbing an ex-girlfriend in 2021.

He allegedly broke out of the jail by “crab walking” up a wall in a recreation yard, pushing his way through razor wire and accessing the roof, where he climbed down and made his getaway an hour before guards realized he was missing, according to Howard Holland, acting warden of the Chester County Prison.

State authorities launched a massive manhunt for the fugitive, recapturing him 12 days later.

While on the loose, Cavalcante was said to be armed with a .22-caliber rifle with a scope and flashlight that he allegedly stole from a resident’s garage in Chester County.

Authorities believe Cavalcante may have been attempting to return to his native Brazil. They had stressed that anyone who helps him will be prosecuted.

A $25,000 reward was available for information leading to Cavalcante’s recapture.

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(NEW YORK) — North Korea launched a possible ballistic missile on Wednesday, Japan’s Ministry of Defense said in a tweet.

The missile launch comes as North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia for a high-stakes meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A short while after the initial news broke, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed they had detected two short-range ballistic missiles fired from the Sunan area into the East Sea.

“Our military has strengthened its surveillance and vigilance in preparation for additional launches, while maintaining a full preparedness while working closely with the U.S.,” read a statement the JCS released Wednesday morning local time.

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(LONDON) — A luxury cruise ship carrying 206 passengers has run aground off the coast of Greenland.

The Ocean Explorer, a 104.4-meter (343-foot) long and 18-meter (60 foot) ship ran aground on Monday near Alpefjord in the Northeast Greenland National Park — a 375,000 square mile area that is the most northerly national park in the world.

Although no injuries and no damage to the ship have been reported, officials are taking this incident very seriously.

“Arctic Command has been in contact with the cruise ship Ocean Explorer, which has stated that they are still grounded in the National Park, read a statement from the Joint Arctic Command posted on social media on Tuesday. “This means that the tide, which came during the day local time, did not provide the desired help to sail on. Arctic Command is still in contact with relevant ships in the vicinity, which could be able to help the cruise ship free.”

The ship — belonging to Ulstein Group in Ulsteinvik, southern Norway — had its maiden voyage only two years ago in 2021, according to AE Expeditions.

“Accommodating just 134 expeditioners, the Ocean Explorer was purpose-built for expedition travel to the world’s most remote destinations. This small ship is outfitted with the latest cutting-edge technology, sustainability and navigation capabilities,” AE Expeditions says on its website detailing the vessel.

The National Park is so remote that only a limited number of people get the chance to visit each year, according to Greenland’s tourist board, and more people summit Mount Everest every year than there are visitors in The Northeast Greenland National Park.

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(NEW YORK) — North Korea’s Kim Jong Un has arrived at the Vostochny Cosmodrome for his planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Putin greeted him in front of the building. The two shook hands and walked inside.

“I’m very glad to see you,” Putin said upon greeting Kim, according to RIA News, a state-run media outlet.

The high-level summit began at about 2:30 p.m. local time, coming after days of speculation over when and where the meeting would take place. The Kremlin, which announced on Monday that the meeting was planned, had said on Tuesday it would take place in the coming days.

The two are expected to discuss a trade deal that may include North Korea supplying Russia with ammunition, which may be used in the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Those discussion have been “actively advancing,” a U.S. official told ABC News last week.

Kim left Pyongyang on Sunday night, travelling into Russia on a slow-moving train that crossed the border into far eastern Russia Tuesday.

Putin on Monday began a two-day trip to Vladivostok, a port city near eastern Russia’s border with North Korea, where he attended an economic forum, Russia’s TASS news agency said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

ABC News’ Shannon Crawford and Ben Gittleson contributed to this story.

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(NEW YORK) — More than 5,200 people are believed to have died in devastating floods across eastern Libya, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior said Tuesday.

Another 10,000 people are believed to be missing, according to Tamer Ramadan, Libya envoy for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

“The death toll is huge,” Ramadan said during a press briefing on Tuesday.

In just the city of Derna, the worst hit area, at least 700 people have been confirmed dead from the unprecedented flooding. A quarter of Derna was wiped out after dams burst and the city was declared a disaster zone, with electricity and communication having been cut off.

An additional 1,200 people were injured in the flooding in Derna, according to authorities.

The cities of Al Marj, Susah, Shahat and Al Bayda have also recorded several fatalities.

Rescue and relief efforts were underway on Tuesday to assist those affected by the flooding, according to Gen. Khalifa Haftar, head of the powerful Libyan military faction that controls the eastern part of the divided country.

“We issued immediate instructions to use all our capabilities, provide the needed support of all urgent medical equipment, operate medical convoys and to allocate shelters to those who lost their homes,” Haftar said in a televised address on Tuesday. “We have directed the government to form a specialized committee to assess the damage, instantly begin the reconstruction of roads to facilitate transportation, restore the electricity and to take all immediate and needed measures in that regards.”

President Joe Biden and the first lady are sending their “deepest condolences” to families in Libya who’ve lost loved ones in the devastating floods.

In a statement, Biden said the U.S. is “sending emergency funds to relief organizations and coordinating with the Libyan authorities and the U.N. to provide additional support.”

Mediterranean storm Daniel is behind the widespread flooding in the North African nation as it swept away entire neighborhoods and destroyed homes in several coastal towns over the weekend.

Libya’s National Center of Meteorology reported that more than 16 inches of rain fell in the city of Bayda within a 24-hour period to Sunday, according to the flood tracking website Floodlist.

Initial reports indicated that the storm damaged dozens of cities and villages in the area, according to Georgette Gagnon, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Libya.

“I am deeply saddened by the severe impact of [Storm] Daniel on the country and have tasked an emergency response team to prepare to support local authorities and partners in the region,” Gagnon wrote in a post on social media on Monday. “I call on all local, national and international partners to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to those affected at this difficult time.”

U.S. Special Envoy to Libya Ambassador Richard Norland announced Tuesday that the American embassy in Tripoli “has issued an official declaration of humanitarian need in response to the devastating floods in Libya.”

“The declaration of humanitarian need will authorize initial funding that the United States will provide in support of relief efforts in Libya,” Norland said in a statement. “We are coordinating with U.N. partners and Libyan authorities to assess how best to target official U.S. assistance. In addition, we have been contacted by many Libyan Americans anxious to make private contributions to relief efforts and we will work with Libyan authorities to direct those resources to where they are most needed.”

Last week, the same storm system hammered the southeastern Mediterranean, killing at least 26 people in Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria, according to The Washington Post.

ABC News’ Joe Simonetti and Justin Gomez contributed to this report.

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(MARAKECH, Morocco) — The death toll has continued to climb in the wake of the rare and powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Morocco Friday night.

More than 2,900 people are confirmed dead.

The quake, Morocco’s strongest in more than a century, hit the country’s High Atlas Mountain range near Marrakech.

Latest headlines:
-Death toll rises to 2,901
-Rescuers reach epicenter
-Biden offers ‘necessary assistance’ to devastated Morocco
-Algeria offers to open its airspace to Morocco following deadly quake

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.

Sep 12, 9:02 AM EDT
Death toll rises to 2,901

The death toll from the devastating earthquake has increased to 2,901.

Another 5,530 people are injured.

Sep 11, 3:40 PM EDT
Moroccan government still not accepting US support

State Department spokesperson Matt Miller confirmed Monday that the Moroccan government has still not taken the United States up on its offer to provide support in its earthquake relief despite direct outreach from Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Blinken spoke with Morocco’s foreign minister this weekend and expressed his condolences, Miller said.

“They also discussed how the United States can best support the government of Morocco’s leadership of the humanitarian response to the tragedy, and the secretary and the foreign minister pledged to stay in close contact as the response efforts continue,” Miller said.

Asked whether the U.S. was providing any direct aid at the moment, Miller said, “We have made the offer for assistance and are in close consultations with the Moroccan government about how we can best provide that assistance.”

ABC News’ Shannon Crawford

Sep 11, 3:25 PM EDT
Death toll climbs to 2,862

The death toll from the devastating earthquake now stands at 2,862.

Another 2,562 people are injured.

For the first time on Monday, ambulances and aid teams in trucks reached Ighil, the mountainous area where the earthquake’s epicenter was located, according to state TV.

Emergency teams worked to clear rockfalls blocking rocks to over a dozen remote villages in the area, and members of the armed forces walked on foot along rugged roads to provide aid, state TV reported.

Rescue teams searched for missing victims under the rubble in the devastated Talat N’Yaaqoub village in the Atlas Mountains, which was almost entirely flattened.

TV footage showed rescuers pulling a newborn baby out from under the rubble.

TV footage also showed military helicopters dropping aid packages from the air into hard-to-reach areas.

Morocco’s central bank has created a special account to receive donations from around the world.

ABC News’ Ayat Al-Tawy

 

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(LONDON) — Iranian human rights activist Bahareh Hedayat is experiencing dire health issues 13 days into her hunger strike in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, making her family and friends worry about her life.

She has been “grappling with severe weakness and heart palpitations” after losing about 8 kilograms, or 17 lbs, in the strike’s first 10 days, her lawyer Zahra Minoui said on social media.

Hedayat’s lawyer wrote on Tuesday that following the “deterioration” of Hedayat’s condition she was transferred from Evin to the hospital on the 13th day of her strike.

As Hedayat started her hunger strike on Sept. 1, she sent a statement out of the prison elaborating the intentions of her decision including protesting the death of Javad Rouhi under suspicious circumstances in prisons of the Islamic Republic on Aug. 31.

Rouhi had been detained after participating in the nationwide “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests, also known as the Mahsa Amini uprising, which began after a 22-year-old woman died under suspicious circumstances in hijab police custody last September.

“I, in obedience to, and in defense of my conscience, protest against the tragic death of Javad Rouhi in prison,” Hedayat’s statement reads, describing her hunger strike as a “humble contribution.” She also hoped the act would serve “the cause of freedom” for Iran and support the “unyielding resistance of women.” Hedayat also asked for freedom for two Iranian journalists who were arrested for covering Mahsa Amini’s death, Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi.

A group of Iranian cinematographers, journalists, civil activists and families of protesters who were allegedly killed by the Islamic Republic over the past years have signed a petition published by Shargh Daily to ask Hedayat to end her hunger strike.

“Iranian society and justice-seeking families need to have your body, so your free and strong spirit can keep up the fight on the path of justice,” the petition reads. “You have given years of your life and youth to fight against oppression for a free Iran. We are worried about your dear life as we are worried about Iran, but we also have hope for the future of Iran.”

The “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement was spread across Iran last September and engulfed the country in a series of bloody protests in which at least 537 people were killed by the regime as Iran Human Rights reported in April.

Since the start of the protests, at least 22,000 people have been arrested, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.

“She may die any given hour. We know how determined she is,” one of Hedayat’s friends told ABC News about her latest situation. The friend asked for her name to not be disclosed for security concerns.

“It is extremely dangerous for her if she continues her strike,” she said, adding that she hopes the regime’s officials are “wide enough not to let another person dies in their custody during the anniversary days of Mahsa Amini movement.”

So far there is no reaction from the officials to Hedayat’s hunger strike.

Hedayat has been arrested and imprisoned several times in the past for her activism on different occasions. Currently, she is serving a four-year and eight-month sentence that she received for participating in protests after the Islamic Republic Guard Corps shot down a Ukrainian airliner in January 2020 that killed all 176 people on board.

 

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