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Floods sweep through central Europe

Floods sweep through central Europe Helicopters dropped giant sandbags Thursday onto flooded Austrian towns to shore up dams that were threatening to collapse after two weeks of flooding left large swaths of central Europe under water. Authorities earlier this week ordered a partial evacuation of Duernkrut, a town of 2,100, after the swollen March River punched a hole in a dam, pushing the swirling waters close to the roof line on some abandoned houses. Across the flooded region northeast of Vienna, about 1,400 people were ordered to leave 620 homes as a precaution, Interior Minister Liese Prokop said Thursday. In the

Rising rivers flooding parts of central Europe

Rising rivers flooding parts of central Europe Central Europe is fighting floods after heavy rain and melting snow pushed rivers over their banks in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Danube River in Budapest reached a 120-year peak late Tuesday night, and is expected to take more than a week to fall back from the 8.6 metres above its normal level. The government sent more than 10,000 soldiers and police to help thousands of volunteers who were maintaining flood defences in the city. The Hungarian government has also banned shipping on the Danube as waves caused by the vessels

Canada denies bail to man accused of al Qaeda ties

Canada denies bail to man accused of al Qaeda ties TORONTO (Reuters) - A Canadian man accused of supplying weapons to al Qaeda and conspiring to kill Americans abroad was denied bail by a Canadian court on Friday after the judge said the network could help him flee the country. Abdullah Khadr, 24, is being held in Canada on an extradition warrant from the United States. He is the eldest son of Ahmed Said Khadr, who was an alleged al Qaeda financier and a close friend of Osama bin Laden. His brother Omar Ahmed Khadr is the only Canadian held at the U.S.

Central Europe continues to fight rising tides

Central Europe continues to fight rising tides Authorities in Germany say flooding has peaked in the state of Saxony, the country's worst affected region. Levels in the river Elbe have stopped short of eight metres, allowing the army to begin work on pumping out the water after spending several days shoring up defences. Some houses have been completely cut-off near Dresden. But in the historic city itself, waters are rising slower than previously expected. Rivers across central Europe have been swelling fast over the past week due to rain and melted snow, forcing thousands to flee their homes. In the Czech Republic,

European drought verging on disaster

European drought verging on disaster As Europe wilts under a blistering sun, water levels in the regions rivers and reservoirs are plummeting. The night skies over Spains forests glow orange with deadly wildfires. Cracked mud-flats border shrinking waterways. Fish lie stranded on the dry beds of lakes and rivers. Water levels on parts of Italys longest and most commercially vital river, the Po – which has stirred awe with the fury of its floods – have dropped to their lowest in living memory. On the Rhine, Europes busiest waterway, low waters have forced ships to carry less cargo and make up for