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Canada’s Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is projected to win the Battle River-Crowfoot by-election in Alberta, securing a return to the House of Commons after losing his Ottawa-area seat in April. With final ballots still being counted, Poilievre leads with over 80 percent of the vote, according to BBC.

The by-election, triggered when former Conservative MP Damian Kurek stepped aside, saw a record 214 candidates, including many from a protest group pushing for electoral reform. Poilievre thanked Kurek for his “gracious sacrifice” and emphasized his commitment to earning voters’ trust.

Alberta is a Conservative stronghold, and Poilievre’s victory restores his parliamentary presence ahead of a mandatory leadership review in January, when party members will decide whether he continues as leader, BBC reported.

Thousands of firefighters, supported by soldiers and water-bombing aircraft, are battling over 20 major wildfires in western Spain, where a record area of land has already been destroyed. Heatwaves and drought, worsened by climate change, have intensified the fires, which have also affected neighboring Portugal, Al Jazeera reported.

Two firefighters died in road accidents over the weekend, raising the death toll to four in Spain and two in Portugal. The blazes, concentrated in Castile and Leon, Galicia, and Extremadura, have forced thousands to evacuate.

According to the European Forest Fire Information System, more than 343,000 hectares (848,000 acres) have burned this year, surpassing the previous national record of 306,000 hectares.

A severe drought in Turkey has left dams in the northwestern Tekirdag province dry, cutting water to homes for weeks and putting pressure on the country’s infrastructure. Authorities warn that several provinces could face limited fresh water this summer, according to Reuters.

In Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city, residents have experienced frequent water cuts, while in the western province of Usak, households are restricted to just six hours of water daily after the main reservoir was depleted.

According to Turkey’s Meteorological Service, rainfall in July fell 71 percent nationwide from last year and 95 percent below average in the Marmara region, which includes Tekirdag and Istanbul. Overall, precipitation across Turkey is down 26 percent in the past ten months, marking the lowest levels in 52 years, Reuters reported.

Three US Navy destroyers will arrive off Venezuela within 36 hours as part of President Donald Trump’s push to target Latin American drug cartels, officials said.

The deployment, involving around 4,000 sailors and Marines along with spy planes, warships and a submarine, will run for several months in international waters and airspace. The ships will conduct surveillance and could support strikes if ordered, according to Reuters.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro pledged to defend the country’s territory, calling the US a “declining empire.

Trump has made fighting cartels central to his border and immigration strategy, recently designating groups like Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua as global terrorist organizations, Reuters reported.

Rights groups, including HEAL Palestine, have criticized the US State Department for suspending visitor visas for Palestinians from Gaza, warning it will block wounded children from receiving vital medical care in American hospitals, Reuters reported.

The suspension follows claims by far-right activist Laura Loomer, which HEAL Palestine said were false. The charity stressed its program is donation-funded, temporary, and strictly for medical treatment, with families returning afterward.

The US has issued over 3,800 visitor visas to Palestinians this year, but new applications from Gaza are now paused. According to  Reuters, critics including the Council on American-Islamic Relations, say the move punishes civilians amid Gaza’s worsening humanitarian crisis.

At least 52 civilians have been killed this month in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo in attacks by the ISIL-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), the United Nations mission MONUSCO reported.

The assaults in North Kivu’s Beni and Lubero territories involved mass killings, kidnappings, and looting, with MONUSCO warning the toll could rise, Al Jazeera reported.

The violence comes as Congolese forces and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels trade accusations of violating a US-brokered ceasefire.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Monday that Mexico is exploring ways to reduce its reliance on US natural gas and strengthen energy self-sufficiency.

Speaking at her daily press conference, Sheinbaum acknowledged that the country currently depends on “very cheap” US gas, but noted that long-term import contracts—some lasting up to 20 years—cannot be immediately canceled, Xinhua reported.

She said state-owned oil company Pemex has formed a working group, coordinated with the Mexican Petroleum Institute, to study less environmentally harmful options and alternative methane sources, including landfills and biomass.

US President Donald Trump said he has spoken with Vladimir Putin about arranging a possible meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, followed by a trilateral session including himself. The Kremlin called the idea “worthwhile” but gave no commitment, BBC reported.

Trump downplayed the need for a ceasefire before talks, a stance opposed by European leaders, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz insisting negotiations cannot proceed without one.

Trump also pledged US security guarantees for Ukraine, hinting at military involvement if necessary. Zelenskiy said a $90bn US arms package, including advanced systems and drone cooperation, is being discussed and could be finalized within 10 days.

According to BBC, Zelensky struck a conciliatory tone, while Europeans praised Trump’s mediation but stressed their own security concerns.