All posts tagged: villagers

Villagers fight back after suspected travellers bulldoze wildlife haven

Villagers fight back after suspected travellers bulldoze wildlife haven

Published by Sam Flores

“We’ve never had anything like this in Sawbridgeworth,” Katie says, her Girlguiding badges shining on her uniform. “We’re sleepy Sawbridgeworth.” The 44-year-old local Guide leader is one of hundreds of somewhat unconventional protesters defending a small plot of land in the Hertfordshire town. On Friday morning, the patch of land in question, off Sheering Mill Lane, a single-track 20mph road, was a tranquil, verdant wildlife hotspot. But over the bank holiday weekend, the suburban setting, which lies a little more than a mile from Durrington House, the Grade II-listed mansion owned by Sir Rod Stewart and his wife Penny Lancaster, was transformed into an impromptu building site. Workmen with heavy machinery dug up the land, erected fences and felled at least one tree. And all without planning permission. The diggers and workmen arrived unannounced on Friday and began drilling – Ben Montgomery for The Telegraph Although the identity of the land’s new owners is unknown, suspicion has fallen on travellers. Greg Rattey, a councillor and former mayor of Sawbridgeworth, spoke on Sunday of the dismay …

Hundreds of villagers evacuate as Belgium battles record wildfire

Hundreds of villagers evacuate as Belgium battles record wildfire

Published by Sam Flores

Hundreds of villagers were under evacuation orders in eastern Belgium on Saturday as firefighters battled one of the country’s worst-ever wildfires, with vast swathes of nature reserve turned to a singed wasteland. Reinforcements were pulled from across the country to fight the blaze that broke out Friday in the High Fens park near the German border and quickly spread, with helicopters and water bombers flying in from across the EU to help. Described by officials as the largest in Belgium’s modern history, the blaze broke out in an area of fragile peatlands and pine forests that was ravaged by massive wildfires in 1911, during a similar period of extreme heatwaves and drought. By late Saturday, it had scorched more than 2,700 hectares (6,700 acres), up from a mere 80 hectares on Friday, the local authorities said in a statement. Europe battles wildfires and braces for another summer heatwave To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. Accept Manage my choices One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking …

Pakistani strikes kill dozens of Afghan villagers | Pakistan Taliban

Pakistani strikes kill dozens of Afghan villagers | Pakistan Taliban

Published by Sam Flores

NewsFeed Afghan villagers inspected destroyed homes after overnight Pakistani strikes targeting Taliban-allied fighters killed at least 36 civilians and wounded 163 others. Islamabad said it killed 29 fighters in ‘precision strikes’ in retaliation for multiple attacks by armed groups across Pakistan in recent days. Published On 29 Jun 202629 Jun 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Source link

Rescuers evacuate the first of 5 villagers found trapped in a cave in Laos; 2 still missing

Rescuers evacuate the first of 5 villagers found trapped in a cave in Laos; 2 still missing

Published by Sam Flores

BANGKOK: Rescue divers in Laos on Friday (May 29) night safely evacuated the first of five local villagers who had been trapped in a cave for more than a week by floodwaters. Lao and Thai rescue workers posted the news on social media, along with a video showing the first rescued villager with a lamp strapped to his forehead. The villager, who was not immediately identified, was walking unsteadily with the assistance of two men. They handed him over to other team members amid a waiting crowd for a medical check. The five had been found by divers on Wednesday, but that left rescue workers with two serious tasks: extricating the five and finding two more who are still missing. Evacuations of the other four were suspended until tomorrow because they were not ready, said Chakkit Taengtang of Sai Than Association, one of the Thai rescue organisation at the scene. Rescue teams had pumped water out of the flooded cave’s passages on Friday, but a morning rainstorm complicated their work. The trapped men have already …

Cambodian villagers honor guardian spirits to pray for rain and good fortune

Cambodian villagers honor guardian spirits to pray for rain and good fortune

Published by Sam Flores

PHUM BOEUNG, Cambodia (AP) — Hundreds of Cambodians on Thursday morning honored their village’s guardian spirits by holding a colorful centuries-old ceremony to pray for good fortune, rain and prosperity. The “He Neak Ta” ritual has been celebrated annually for several hundred years by the villagers in Phum Boeung, about 25 kilometers (15 miles) northwest of the capital, Phnom Penh. The ceremony, which has become increasingly rare in modern times, coincides with the onset of the summer monsoon as farmers prepare for planting rice, a particularly water-intensive crop. Although most Cambodians are Buddhist, the ritual reflects a widespread faith in animism, the belief that spirits can inhabit all types of living and inanimate objects. Chamrouen Ratha, a 26-year-old blacksmith, said he was taking the day off from work to join other villagers in honoring the same spirits celebrated by his ancestors. “The significance of this ceremony is to pray for happiness and prosperity for all the villagers in this area and the participants who have joined this ceremony,” he said. Villagers of all ages congregate …

‘We’re in a bit of a state’: Cornish villagers frustrated by lack of help after Storm Goretti | Cornwall

‘We’re in a bit of a state’: Cornish villagers frustrated by lack of help after Storm Goretti | Cornwall

Published by Jenni Sidey

Linda Williams, 86, has been without heating, lighting and a working phone for the best part of five days. She is trying to keep warm by layering up and she picks her way around her home in the remote Cornish village of New Mill with old battery lamps from her days of caravanning. “I think it’s safe to say that we’re in a bit of a state,” said Williams, a retired council accounts assistant. “But it can’t go on for ever … can it?” Storm Goretti brought chaos to the far south-west of Britain last week with gusts as high as 99mph bringing down hundreds of trees and 61.8mm of rain adding to the danger and misery. Almost a week on, trees still block roads and scores of people remain without power, water or phone connections. The feeling is growing that Cornwall has been left to cope on its own, leading an increasing number of people to call for the UK government to step in to help. Linda Williams has been without power since Thursday. …

Chinese villagers struggle for heat as gas subsidies fade

Chinese villagers struggle for heat as gas subsidies fade

Published by Sam Flores

XUSHUI, Hebei: Almost a decade after China began curbing coal burning to stop thick winter smog, villagers in northern Hebei province are struggling to afford their heating bills with most gas subsidies now phased out. In 2017, Beijing mandated that dozens of northern areas wind down the use of coal-fired stoves in favour of electric and natural gas-powered systems. China’s central government allocated funds to refit stoves, but subsidies faded after three years and additional aid has drastically declined, local media reported this week. In Xushui, a district in Hebei roughly 100km outside Beijing, villagers told AFP they avoided turning on the heating because it drained their incomes. “Regular folks can’t afford it … Spending 1,000 yuan (US$143) per month on heat – no one can stand that,” a resident in his 60s told AFP at a farmers’ market. “Everyone likes that (the air) is clean. There’s not one person that doesn’t like it,” he said, asking not to be named for fear of “trouble”. “But … the cost of clean (air) is high,” he …