from berlin. wildfires claim more lives across the mediterranean. new fires erupt on mainland greece. at least 40 people have been killed in algeria, greece, and italy. also coming up, soldiers attempt an apparent muni in niger -- mutniy in niger. also, taiwan practices its

response to in invasion from china. soldiers simulate an attack on the island's main airport, using lessons learned from the war in ukraine. at least one person is dead and several others injured after a cargo ship catches fire off the coast of the netherlands. ♪ i'm william glucroft. welcome to the program. wildfires have left a trail of scorched earth across the mediterranean. croatia, portugal, and he canary islands have all suffered. the worst death toll is in algeria where fires have claimed at least 34 lives. dozens of fires are also burning across southern italy, including the island of sicily where temperatures have soared to above 47 degrees celsius. new fires have broken out on

mainland greece, adding to those already burning from days on several islands. on rhodes, thousands have been evacuated, and forests and nature reserves, destroyed. earlier i asked christos zerefos , a pioneering greek climate scientist and secretary-general of the academy of athens, what he makes of the heat waves and wildfires. christos: you know, the heat waves started appearing in their severe form, like we know now, in 2007. before that, we had a severe heat wave in 1987. but in the past 150 years, the beginning of heat waves for greece was actually the year 1987, august.

the beginning of heat waves in europe, italy, france, spain, was the year 2003. and the worst heatwave that we have experienced since then was in 2007, in greece. linked to wildfires and to loss, damage, and deaths, in 2007. now, the link between waves and wildfires is well known, because a heatwave manages to reduce the relative humidity of soil, and at the same time, when winds are blowing in the sense that we see them now in the aegean sea mostly and in greece in general,

they do spread the wildfire, with all the consequences that we know. the mediterranean sea in general has been considered by the intergovernmental panel for climate change as a hotspot. and in fact, the average air temperatures for july and august in the past 100 years has increased by more than two degrees centigrade. the sequence of this year's wildfires and heat waves we have had so far, we had three strong heat waves in greece, we had several in italy, in spain, and

of course in algiers and libya. and of course all over the mediterranean, in turkiye, in cyprus, and in other countries. william: another greek island badly affected by wildfires is corfu, the island off greece's west coast is a popular holiday destination for foreign and domestic tourists. especially in july. dw reporter visited corfu to see firsthand how locals and tourists are coping in one of the island's busiest months. reporter: the fire is right above you. reporter: bit by bit, the fire creeps closer to his house. he hopes he will be able to save it, but nothing is certain. on the greek island up corfu, we're being told to leave. police are evacuating the area.

wildfires have been raging here for days now. we moved to a nearby village where we meet a woman and her granddaughters. they are also afraid the fires could reach their holiday home. >> we have to keep watch and protect our house. i have set up water hoses all around the house. the plan is to turn them on once i see the fire approaching but i have to wait until it reaches my house. reporter: elena and her family came here for the holidays. like many other groups, they have been experiencing long power cuts, but they are determined to stay until they receive an official evacuation order. >> i'm afraid, of course, but i know one of our relatives can be here to pick us up within 10 minutes. it will take longer than that for the fire to get here. reporter: these people have left, taking only a few

belongings. in another village, residents are stressed, but they are doing what they can to organize and to help each other. eleni and her granddaughters are prepared to leave the house at any moment. for now, they can stay. but as long as fires are smoldering nearby, everyone here is on high alert. william: members of niger's presidential guard have detained the the president inside his own palace, blocking access to both his residence and office in the capital. the president has reportedly called on the army to attack. if the elite soldiers do not back down. niger has experienced four coups

since independence from france in 1960. the u.s. calls it quote, an apparent attempted coup. i spoke earlier to our dw correspondent in legos and asked him if this is an attempt to seize power. >> that is what we witnessed according to reports in the early hours of this morning, about 5:30 a.m. local time. the guards guarding the presidential palace detained the president, blocking off ostensibly access to the palace and also keeping him there. that is where the news began to trickle that some issues were going to begin to happen in niger. so many have termed it another attempted coup in west africa which has experienced so many. this will make it the 6th coup

since 2020. what we know for now is that after the proceedings that happened earlier we saw a couple of demonstrations in favor of the president happening close to the presidential palace. when a couple of warning shots were fired i presidential guards against the protesters to keep them away from the presidential palace. we saw the president put out a tweet which was later deleted saying that the president is ok and his family are well, but warning that the coup-makers should go back to the barracks and stop the act. we have also seen heavy statements demanding the immediate and unconditional release of the president. but for now, there is a bit of confusion in the capital. no movement as of this evening that we can confirm because many people are home. william: he was democratically

elected. does he still enjoy public support? olisa: that is a bit of a mixed one, because he was democratically elected back in 2021, when he came into power with so much optimism and joy and promise for the country. don't forget, this is a country of about 26.2 million people. a lot of arable land swept away by justification and global warming. there is also farming issues, so the economy is not as it is meant to be in the country. so it's really hard to see people backing the president. he does enjoy some support, he does enjoy some bit of love from the people. don't forget, this is a country that has seen about four coups since gaining independence from france. william: tell us, events in niger, small country, an important region. how does what is going on in niger play into the stability of

the region overall? olisa: that is the big question for countries like dig area, ghana -- like nigeria, for ghana. niger is fighting a twin battle in its southwest bordering mali, and in the southeast bordering nigeria with boko haram and groups linked to al qaeda. that will be the big issue, because any change in power in niger, in the army, will ultimately spell -- perhaps a drawback when it comes to the fight against insurgency. niger so far has been the only country that seems to be pro-western-backed supprt in terms of having troops in the country in the fight against insurgency. it's also a member of the g% grou5 -- the g5 group fighting

jihadists in the region. so their role cannot be overstated. william: olisa chukwumah, thank you very much for the latest. food prices in kenya are soaring following russia's decision to pull out of a deal guaranteeing the safe export of grain through the black sea. the entire region is in the grip of the worst drought in decades, leaving hundreds of thousands of people dependent on food aid. reporter: he israel's -- she is responsible for hitting 10 people including her grandchildren. she makes brooms to sell to a local shop. it is there only income. selling 12 -- the family have no land. they fled their home during the 2008 postelection clashes in

kenya. food aid helps but no longer comes regularly. >> we used to get aid twice a year. then they brought stuff for us once a month. but then it stopped. we are still waiting for the next delivery. it is hurting us. we are just waiting to see if we will get food or not. reporter: william is hannah's grandson. he studies hard. would love to become a doctor and he says learning is hard on an empty stomach. >> when i am hungary, i cannot concentrate. we rely on the little food they offer us in school. i stay in school and study for extra hours in the hope that when i get home, there will be something. but when i get home there is nothing and i have to sleep on an empty stomach and wake up

hungary. reporter: hannah's cooking pots remain unused all day. this green sack is now used to store utensils. the last time she cooked anything was last night. they will eat again this evening, but there is nothing in between. >> hunger has become like a neighbor to us. it is always here. even when we eat we remain hungary. what else can we do? we don't have anywhere else to go or anything we can do. reporter: her children will continue going to bed hungary and continue struggling with studies at school. unless there is an increase in donors and the black sea green initiative resumes, then people like her will continue suffering with hunger. wfp regional director for africa says suspension of the grain deal with have terrible consequences for the poorest. >> people are going to reduce

size of their meals, they are going to cut meals, they are going to adopt alternative ways of trying to survive with less. and this is when malnutrition rates will increase, this is when hunger rates will increase. we're already in a bad situation. my fear is with the suspension of this deal, the situation could get worse. reporter: higher prices add pressure and uncertainty for hannah and her family. they will have to try to earn more just to survive. decisions made a world away making every day harder, and dreams seem even further away. william: let's get you up-to-date on some other stories. the european -- has launched an inquiry into the role of the eu's border agency in the operation to skew survivors from a migrant boat that sank off the greek coast in june. the agency reportedly offered assistance during the incident,

which left hundreds dead. but they said it is not clear what else the agency could or should have done. the powerful typhoon has made landfall in the northern philippines, causing widespread flooding and displacing over 30,000 people. one person has been killed. the storm is forecast to move onto taiwan and china later this week. the arm of a construction crane in new york city has caught fire and plunged hundreds of meters from the top of a 50 store -- of a 54 story building to the street below. it happened in manhattan during the morning rush-hour enforced people to run for their lives. several were injured. taiwan's annual military drills have begun. this year, simulating a response to a possible attack from neighboring china. the weeklong exercises are taking place amid rising tensions in the region.

beijing has held its own military drills around taiwan and its warplanes have made frequent incursions into taiwanese airspace. reporter: not far outside the taiwanese capital, blackhawk helicopters approach the international airport. antiaircraft missile launchers spring into action. the choppers find a place to land, and enemy troops leap out. they seize and take control of air traffic control facilities, but they are quickly defeated by taiwanese infantry. a soldier hoists the island's flag in victory, and the battle is over. halfway across the street on these are treated clear located pingel islands, the location of a major airbase, troops and tanks roll through and soldiers fire on offshore targets. in taipei, sirens blare across

the city and civilians had for cover in the subway, as the traffic outside comes to a standstill. these are just some of the scenarios taiwan is preparing for in the 39th annual military exercises. drills involving police, firefighters, civilians, and the armed forces. the main focus, a possible invasion by china. beijing claims taiwan as its own territory. chinese forces have conducted two drills around the island in the past year. >> we all know that it's a dire situation in the taiwan strait. we have to prepare for an attack from china which could happen anytime. when that happens, it will definitely cause many deaths and injuries. we saw that in the war in ukraine. that is why we need to prepare ourselves now. reporter: for some taiwanese, the drills, along with the promise of u.s. support, provides comfort. >> i am not too worried.

china has used both diplomatic and military intimidation to watch taiwan before. besides, taiwan has the support of the united states. reporter: while others remain apprehensive. >> i think a war could really happen, and when it happens, the situation will be quite different from the drill. i feel like everyone is doing their best to be accommodating, but i do not know what it would be like in case war really happens. reporter: before long, the all clear is given and everyone heads back above ground. and while these are only drills, for residents of taiwan, they are a reminder of the ever present threat looming just across the water. william: a fire on a freight ship carrying nearly 3000 cars is burning out of control in the north sea. one crewmember is dead and several others have been injured. the dutch coast guard is working to prevent the vessel from sinking and causing a potential ecological disaster. reporter: a grim sight that could last for days.

for rescue teams are racing to put out the fire and present -- prevent this cargo ship from sinking. all crewmembers have been evacuated. the fire spread so quickly that at least seven people jumped overboard and were rescued from the water. while the rest were airlifted by helicopter. >> for them to jump into the water from a height like that, we had to take them out one by one. they were in very bad shape. reporter: the ship has 3000 vehicles on board, 25 of them electric. authorities are looking into whether the blaze was linked to one of the electric cars. the vessel was sailing from a german port to egypt when it caught fire off the dutch coast. it's now burning close to the frisian islands, a unesco world heritage site home to thousands of migratory birds. fears of an ecological disaster on the islands are growing.

>> what could wash up from that ship? oil or cargo? could that lead to dangerous substances on the island? that is my concern. reporter: as a long plume of grey smoke drifts over the sea, the immediate challenge is to cool down the burning boat and keep it afloat. so far, firefighters have been an able -- been unable to asked english the flames. william: now turning to some more stories, france's total energies has begun drilling at a park in western uganda. human rights groups fiercely oppose the project, saying it will cause irreparable harm to the ecosystem and displaced tens of thousands of people. a c ourt in london found u.s. actor kevin spacey not guilty of sex offenses. the jury acquitted the 64-year-old oscar-winner on all charges related to assault,

allege it to had taken place in the u.k. before 2013. at the time, space he was artistic director of london's old vick theater. irish singer-songwriter sinead o'connor has died at the age of 56. she made her debut in the late 1980's. not long after, her chart topping rendition of nothing compares 2 u made her internationally famous. o'connor released 10 studio albums and was known for her political outspokenness and public struggles with mental health. ♪ rescuers are racing to free dozens of whales stranded in western australia. they are stuck on the beach monday. nearly half have already died. reporter: when wildlife officials spotted dozens of whales huddled together in shallow waters, they knew it was a bad sign.

their fears soon became a reality. nearly 100 whales stuck, thrashing about on the sandy shores in what's known as a amss -- mass beaching. the phenomenon is common in australia, but the cause remains a mystery. >> it is so heartbreaking, it is so distressing. om many ways it is frustrating because we don't know why this occurs. it is a terrible thing. but it's very touching to see that sense of humanity with people out there keeping these whales afloat. reporter: once a whale finds itself at a beach, it's at risk. if it doesn't die from dehydration it can drown if water from high tides gets into its blowhole. or without the resiliency from the ocean, get crushed by its own weight. rescuers race against time.

>> let's see if we can get them out. they're going to come back in. it's just the nature of it, unfortunately. reporter: the rescuers camp there all night, but dozens of whales did not make it until the morning. now rescuers are racing to save those still alive. and they have made some progress. they hope to guide them back to safety, accompanying them in kayaks. >> lots of volunteers coming with kayaks, and we are just going to try and generally herd them out of the bay, away from the rocky point over my shoulder, and into deeper water. reporter: while we do not know for sure what causes this strange behavior, pilot whales are notorious for their strong social bonds. marine experts believe that when

one whale gets into difficulty and strands, the rest follow. william: in the women's world cup, spain fired five goals to seal their spot in the knockout stages. spain wasted no time getting onto the scoreboard. before the 10 minute mark, score d a stunning goal from outside the box. less than five minutes later, this pass was headed in. after the break, spain continued their onslaught, adding three more goals for the 5-0 result. also from group c in the early match, japan's court two first-half goals against costa rica to advance into the last 16. the midfielder put japan ahead in the 25th minute with a fine finish, beating costa rica's

keeper. just a few minutes later, they doubled their lead. japan meets spain monday to battle it out for the top of group c. canada have revived their campaign with a 2-1 come back win over ireland after being held to a 0-0 draw with nigeria in their opening game. they showed grit and resilience to fight back and eliminate ireland from the competition. reporter: it was a dream start from the irish, as the captain produced the goal of the tournament so far. her magical delivery soared over everyone in the box, including canada's keeper, to hand ireland their first ever goal at a women's world cup. and while the irish had chances to double their advantage in an energetic first-hand display, it was canada who hit back on the stroke of half-time. megan connelly inadvertently

found the back of her own net to level the score 1-1 at halftime. and canada's class eventually shone through, when the decider was scored after 53 minutes. the 2-1 victory puts canada top of their group, whilst ireland are eliminated from the tournament. william: we will take a short break now and i will be back with "the day." join me over there soon. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

>> members of niger's presidential guard survived -- surround the presidential palace in what has been described as an attempted coup. another excessive wave of hot temperatures sparks more devastating wildfires in greece, portugal, and croatia. and it is the final countdown.