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Turkish Firefighters Battle to Contain Wildfire in Northwest 

A helicopter carries a water bucket as a wildfire burns in Canakkale, Türkiye, August 22, 2023, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. (Gurkan Duzenli/via Reuters)
A helicopter carries a water bucket as a wildfire burns in Canakkale, Türkiye, August 22, 2023, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. (Gurkan Duzenli/via Reuters)
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Turkish Firefighters Battle to Contain Wildfire in Northwest 

A helicopter carries a water bucket as a wildfire burns in Canakkale, Türkiye, August 22, 2023, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. (Gurkan Duzenli/via Reuters)
A helicopter carries a water bucket as a wildfire burns in Canakkale, Türkiye, August 22, 2023, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. (Gurkan Duzenli/via Reuters)

Firefighters battled a forest fire in the northwestern Turkish province of Canakkale on Wednesday as it spread for a second day because of high temperatures and strong wind.

Helicopters and land vehicles worked through the night and Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said more than 1,200 people from nine villages were moved to safety, with 48 people needing medical treatment.

Authorities also moved patients, including elderly people, from some medical centers as a precaution.

News footage showed raging fames and billowing smoke in hills visible from residential areas. Flames engulfed some abandoned village houses.

Marine traffic in the Dardanelles Strait, a narrow passage connecting the Aegean Sea to the Black Sea, was suspended again, the Tribeca shipping agency said, to allow aircraft including helicopters to collect water to douse the flames.

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Spain's Christmas Lottery Spreads Cash and Seasonal Joy to Winners

Reuters
Reuters
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Spain's Christmas Lottery Spreads Cash and Seasonal Joy to Winners

Reuters
Reuters

Players with winning tickets in Spain's huge Christmas lottery draw on Sunday celebrated with sparkling wine, cheers and hugs in a 200-year-old tradition that marks the beginning of the Christmas season.
The total prize pot in the state-run National Lottery event reached 2.71 billion euros ($2.83 billion) this year, slightly more than last year's 2.59 billion euros.
The top prize, known as "El Gordo" (The Fat One), was won in the northern city of Logrono, capital of La Rioja region that is famed for its wines.
In the nationally televised draw at Madrid's Teatro Real, young pupils from San Ildefonso school picked the winning numbers from two revolving globes and sang them out.
The audience, who had queued for hours to enter, wore Santa hats, regional costumes and their personal lucky charms.
"I'd like the lottery to go to Valencia. Honestly, I think it should go to the affected areas. We'd like that very much," said 25-year-old Vicent Jacinto, dressed in a traditional Valencian fallas suit and referring to deadly floods that struck the region in October.
Lottery mania hits Spain in the weeks leading up to the Christmas lottery. Relatives, co-workers, groups of friends and club members frequently buy tickets or fractions of them together, often favoring particular "lucky" vendors or numbers.
The most common ticket costs 20 euros, offering up to 400,000 euros in prize money, before taxes.
The lottery tradition dates back to 1812, when Spain was under French occupation during the Napoleonic Wars and the draw aimed to raise funds to fight for independence.
These days, proceeds after operating costs and payouts are given to social causes.