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Edmund White, the influential American novelist who chronicled gay life and his own sexual odyssey through his work, including dozens of books, several short stories and countless articles and essays, has died, his agent said Wednesday. He was 85.”Ed passed last night at home in NYC (New York City) of natural causes,” agent Bill Clegg told AFP, adding that White is survived by his husband Michael Carroll and a sister.The literary pioneer’s books include “Forgetting Elena,” his celebrated debut novel from 1973, “A Boy’s Own Story,” his 1982 coming-of-age exploration of sexual identity, and multiple memoirs, notably a revelatory “The Loves of My Life” published this year.Homosexuality was at the heart of his writing — from the 1950s, when being gay was considered a mental illness, to the sexual liberation after the Stonewall riots in 1969, which he witnessed firsthand.Then came the AIDS years that decimated an entire generation. White himself would be affected directly — he was diagnosed HIV positive in 1985 and lived with the condition for four decades.With an acerbic wit, White also wrote of his efforts — brief and ill-fated as they may have been — to lead a heterosexual life.”When a woman falls in love with me, I feel guilty,” began his personal essay in a 2005 edition of The New Yorker magazine. “Who was I to reject an honest woman’s love? Was what I was holding out for so much better?”Tributes to the award-winning writer poured in on social media, including from his longtime friend and fellow prolific author Joyce Carol Oates.”There has been no one like Edmund White!” Oates posted on X. “Astonishing stylistic versatility, boldly pioneering subject matter; darkly funny; a friend to so many over decades.”The Booker Prizes — which White judged in 1989 — posted on X that there was “great sadness” in its headquarters over his death, and praised “his joyously wicked sense of humour.”White taught writing at Yale and Columbia universities in the late 1970s. He also worked as a journalist. He lived in Paris for about 15 years, and was an avid traveler, spending years researching biographies of French authors Jean Genet and Marcel Proust. He co-wrote “The Joy of Gay Sex,” a how-to guide and resource on relationships, which was a queer counter to “The Joy of Sex,” the hugely popular 1972 illustrated sex manual.In the 2010s White suffered two strokes and a heart attack. But he kept writing. In this year’s “The Loves of My Life,” he recalled all the men he had loved — White numbered his sexual partners at some 3,000.The New York Times described the book as “gaspingly graphic, jaunty and tender.”White himself acknowledged that literature was a powerful conduit for revealing the intimate sides of ourselves.”The most important things in our intimate lives can’t be discussed with strangers, except in books,” he once wrote.

Edmund White, the influential American novelist who chronicled gay life through his semi-autobiographical work, including dozens of books, several short stories and countless articles and essays, has died, his agent said Wednesday. He was 85.”Ed passed last night at home in NYC (New York City) of natural causes,” agent Bill Clegg told AFP, adding White is survived by his husband Michael Carroll and a sister.The literary pioneer’s books includes “Forgetting Elena,” his celebrated debut novel from 1973, “A Boy’s Own Story,” his 1982 coming-of-age exploration of sexual identity, and multiple memoirs, notably the revelatory “The Loves of My Life” published this year.From his earliest publications, homosexuality was at the heart of his writing — from the 1950s, when being gay was considered a mental illness, to the sexual liberation after the Stonewall riots in 1969, which he witnessed firsthand.Then came the AIDS years that decimated an entire generation. White himself would be affected directly — he was diagnosed HIV positive in 1985 and lived with the condition for four decades.Tributes to the award-winning writer began pouring in on social media, including from his longtime friend and fellow prolific American author Joyce Carol Oates.”There has been no one like Edmund White!” Oates posted on X. “Astonishing stylistic versatility, boldly pioneering subject matter; darkly funny; a friend to so many over decades.”Fellow author and playwright Paul Rudnick said on X that White was a “gay icon” whose novels, memoirs and non-fiction “changed and enhanced American literature.”White was an avid traveler, spending years researching biographies of French authors Jean Genet and Marcel Proust. In the 1970s he co-wrote “The Joy of Gay Sex,” a how-to guide and resource on relationships, which was a queer counter to “The Joy of Sex,” the hugely popular 1972 illustrated sex manual.In the 2010s White suffered two strokes and a heart attack. But he kept writing. In this year’s “The Loves of My Life,” he recalled all the men he had loved — White numbered his sexual partners at some 3,000.The New York Times described the book as “gaspingly graphic, jaunty and tender.”White himself acknowledged that literature was a powerful conduit for revealing the intimate sides of ourselves.”The most important things in our intimate lives can’t be discussed with strangers, except in books,” as he once wrote.

US novelist Edmund White, who died Tuesday aged 85, established himself as a leading chronicler of gay emancipation through a trailblazing, largely autobiographical body of work.Homosexuality was at the heart of his writing from his earliest books when being gay was considered a mental illness, to the sexual liberation after the Stonewall riots in 1969, which he witnessed firsthand.Then came AIDS that decimated an entire generation of gay men, and from which White was directly affected after being diagnosed HIV positive in 1985.An influential author, prolific journalist, literary critic and teacher, he penned more than 30 books that took in fiction, biography and memoir. – Adored by Nabokov -He was celebrated from the get-go with his first novel, “Forgetting Elena” (1973), praised as a marvelous book by the Russian master Vladimir Nabokov.White followed it up with the very explicit “The Joy of Gay Sex” (1977), a kind of illustrated Kama Sutra that became a gay reference across the US. “A Boy’s Own Story” (1982) began what would become an acclaimed fictional series inspired by the different stages of his own life. He lived in Paris in the 1980s and wrote authoritative biographies of Jean Genet, Marcel Proust and Arthur Rimbaud, three iconic French homosexual figures.He wrote several memoirs in the 2000s, always with his acerbic wit, including his last book published earlier this year, “The Loves of My Life”.In it he recalled all the men he had loved — White numbered his sexual partners at some 3,000.The New York Times described the book as “gaspingly graphic, jaunty and tender”.- New York freedom -Born on January 13, 1940 in Cincinnati, Ohio, White grew up in Chicago. His father was a womanising entrepreneur and his mother a psychologist. When White told her aged 14 that he preferred boys she sent him to several psychiatrists to try to rid him of his “illness”.But early on he decided to embrace his sexuality, not hide or repress it. After studying Chinese at the University of Michigan, he fled the Midwest to follow a lover to New York. He freelanced for Newsweek and worked for several years at the publishing house Time-Life Books, before hitting success with his own books.His literary renown opened the doors to teaching at prestigious US universities, including Johns Hopkins, Columbia, Yale and Princeton. Back in New York after his time in Paris, he settled with his partner, writer Michael Carroll, who was 25 years his junior, whom he married in 2013. He survived HIV and two strokes and a heart attack in the 2010s. 

Donald Trump said on Wednesday that it was “extremely hard” to reach a deal with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, but the EU touted progress in its own trade talks with Washington even though the US president doubled global metal tariffs.Trump’s latest trade moves came as ministers from Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries gathered in Paris to discuss the outlook for the world economy in light of a US hardball approach that has rattled world markets.Trump’s sweeping tariffs on allies and adversaries have strained ties with trading partners and sparked a flurry of negotiations to avoid the duties.The White House has suggested the president will speak to Xi this week, raising hopes they can soothe tensions and speed up a trade deal between the world’s two biggest economies.However, early on Wednesday, Trump appeared to dampen hopes for a quick deal.”I like President XI of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!” he posted on his Truth Social platform.Asked about the remarks during a regular press briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said: “The Chinese side’s principles and stance on developing Sino-US relations are consistent.”China was the main target of Trump’s April tariff blitz, hit with levies of 145 percent on its goods and triggering tit-for-tat tariffs of 125 percent on US imports.Both sides agreed to temporarily de-escalate in May, after Trump delayed most sweeping measures on other countries until July 9.His latest remarks came hours after he increased his tariffs on aluminum and steel from 25 percent to 50 percent, raising temperatures with various partners while exempting Britain from the higher levy.EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic said after talks with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the sidelines of the OECD meeting in Paris that raising the metal tariffs “doesn’t help the negotiations”.The two sides were nonetheless “making progress” in their negotiations, Sefcovic said at a news conference.Goods from the 27-nation bloc will be hit with 50-percent tariffs on July 9 unless it reaches a deal with Washington. The EU has vowed to retaliate.”We did very much focus on these negotiations, and I still believe in them,” Sefcovic said, adding that he was optimistic that a “positive result” could be reached.- Steel tariffs -The US-EU meeting took place a day after the OECD cut its forecast for global economic growth, blaming Trump’s tariff blitz for the downgrade.”We need to come up with negotiated solutions as quickly as possible, because time is running out,” German economy minister Katherina Reiche warned.French trade minister Laurent Saint-Martin said: “We have to keep our cool and always show that the introduction of these tariffs is in no one’s interest.”After talks between UK Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Greer on Tuesday, London said that imports from the UK would remain at 25 percent for now. Both sides needed to work out duties and quotas in line with the terms of a recently signed trade pact.”We’re pleased that as a result of our agreement with the US, UK steel will not be subject to these additional tariffs,” a British government spokesperson said.- White House wants offers -The Group of Seven advanced economies — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States — was due to hold separate trade talks on Wednesday.Mexico will request an exemption from the higher tariff, Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said, arguing that it was unfair because the United States exports more steel to its southern neighbour than it imports.”It makes no sense to put a tariff on a product in which you have a surplus,” Ebrard said.Mexico is highly vulnerable to Trump’s trade wars because 80 percent of its exports go to the United States, its main partner.While some of Trump’s most sweeping levies face legal challenges, they have been allowed to remain in place for now as an appeals process takes place.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Tuesday that the Trump administration sent letters to governments pushing for offers by Wednesday as the July 9 deadline approached.burs-alb-lth/bc

As artificial intelligence threatens to upend entire sectors of the economy, American labor unions are scrambling to protect workers, demand corporate transparency, and rally political support—an uphill battle in a rapidly changing world.”As laborers, the ability to withhold our labor is one of our only tools to improve our lives,” explained Aaron Novik, a key organizer with Amazon’s ALU union.”What happens when that disappears (to AI)? It’s a real existential issue,” he added.Automation has already transformed most industries since the 1960s, typically reducing workforce numbers in the process.But the emergence of advanced “physical AI” promises a new generation of intelligent robots that won’t be limited to repetitive tasks — potentially displacing far more blue-collar workers than ever before.The threat extends beyond manufacturing.The CEO of Anthropic, which created Claude as a competitor to ChatGPT, warned last week that generative AI could eliminate half of all low-skilled white-collar jobs, potentially driving unemployment rates up to 10-20 percent.”The potential displacement of workers and elimination of jobs is a significant concern not just for our members, but for the public in general,” said Peter Finn of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, America’s largest union.- Vetoes -The Teamsters have focused their efforts on passing legislation limiting the spread of automation, but face significant political obstacles.California’s governor has twice vetoed bills that would ban autonomous trucks from public roads, despite intense lobbying from the state’s hundreds of thousands of union members.Colorado’s governor followed suit last week, and similar battles are playing out in Indiana, Maryland, and other states.At the federal level, the landscape shifted dramatically with the change in the White House.Under former president Joe Biden, the Department of Labor issued guidelines encouraging companies to be transparent about AI use, involve workers in strategic decisions, and support employees whose jobs face elimination.But US President Donald Trump canceled the protections within hours of taking office in January.”Now it’s clear. They want to fully open up AI without the safeguards that are necessary to ensure workers’ rights and protections at work,” said HeeWon Brindle-Khym of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), which represents workers in the retail sector.- Rush to AI -Meanwhile, companies are racing to implement AI technologies, often with poor results.”By fear of missing out on innovations, there’s been a real push (to release AI products),” observed Dan Reynolds of the Communications Workers of America (CWA).The CWA has taken a proactive approach, publishing a comprehensive guide for members that urges negotiators to include AI provisions in all collective bargaining agreements.The union is also developing educational toolkits to help workers understand and negotiate around AI implementation.A handful of unions have successfully negotiated AI protections into their contracts.Notable examples include agreements with media company Ziff Davis (which owns Mashable) and video game publisher ZeniMax Studios, a Microsoft subsidiary.The most significant victories belong to two powerful unions: the International Longshoremen’s Association, representing dock workers, secured a moratorium on full automation of certain port operations, while the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) won guarantees that actors must be consulted and compensated whenever their AI likeness is created.These successes remain exceptional, however.The American labor movement, as a whole, lacks the bargaining power enjoyed by those highly strategic or publicly visible sectors, said Brindle-Khym.”Smaller contract-by-contract improvements are a long, slow process,” she added.Despite frequent accusations by corporate interests, the unions’ goal isn’t to halt technological progress entirely.”Workers are usually not seeking to stop the march of technology,” noted Virginia Doellgast, a Cornell University professor specializing in labor relations.”They just want to have some control.”As AI continues its rapid advance, the question remains whether unions can adapt quickly enough to protect workers in an economy increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence.

The United States doubled steel and aluminum tariffs Wednesday, casting a pall on a gathering of OECD ministers as President Donald Trump’s intensifying trade war weighs on the world economy.Trump’s sweeping tariffs on allies and adversaries alike — including levies on imported steel and autos — have strained US ties with trading partners and sparked a flurry of negotiations to avoid the duties.And pressure is mounting as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a 38-nation grouping of mostly developed countries, cut its global growth forecast on the back of Trump’s levies.Trade, consumption and investment have been affected by the tariffs, OECD chief economist Alvaro Pereira earlier told AFP, warning that the US economy will see the biggest repercussions.While some of Trump’s most sweeping levies face legal challenges, they have been allowed to remain in place for now as an appeals process is ongoing.Against this tense backdrop, the Paris-based grouping is holding a ministerial meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday.US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic are set to hold talks on the sidelines of the gathering, with the bloc seeking to stave off higher levies from July 9 absent a compromise.Similarly, UK Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds met Greer on Tuesday to try and avert fresh tariff hikes on steel and aluminum.Despite the doubling of steel and aluminum tariffs Wednesday, imports from the UK will remain at 25 percent for now, while both sides work out duties and quotas in line with the terms of their trade pact.In their talks, Reynolds and Greer discussed a “shared desire to implement” the pact, including agreements on sectoral tariffs, as soon as possible, a UK readout said.But Trump’s latest salvo raises temperatures with various partners.The European Union has said it “strongly regrets” Trump’s plan to raise metals tariffs, cautioning that it “undermines ongoing efforts to reach a negotiated solution” with the United States.The bloc added that it was ready to retaliate.Canada, the largest supplier of steel and aluminium to the United States, has called Trump’s tariffs “illegal and unjustified”.- Looming deadline -The Group of Seven advanced economies — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States — is due to hold separate talks on trade on Wednesday.”We need to come up with negotiated solutions as quickly as possible, because time is running out,” German economy minister Katherina Reiche said Tuesday, on the sidelines of OECD talks.French trade minister Laurent Saint-Martin added: “We have to keep our cool and always show that the introduction of these tariffs is in no one’s interest.”Mexico will request an exemption from the higher tariff, Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said, arguing that it is unfair because the United States exports more steel to Mexico than it imports.”It makes no sense to put a tariff on a product in which you have a surplus,” Ebrard said.Mexico is highly vulnerable to Trump’s trade wars because 80 percent of its exports go to the United States, its main trading partner.On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the Trump administration sent letters to trading partners to push for offers by Wednesday as a deadline approached.Besides imposing 10 percent tariffs on almost all US trading partners in early April, Trump had announced higher rates for dozens of economies including the EU and Japan as he sought to pressure countries to correct practices Washington deemed unfair.These higher rates were paused for 90 days, but the halt is due to expire July 9.All eyes are also on rising tensions between Washington and Beijing.Trump has taken special aim at China this year, imposing additional levies of 145 percent on Chinese imports — triggering Beijing’s counter tariffs of 125 percent on US goods.Both sides agreed to temporarily de-escalate in May, but Trump accused China of violating the deal.The issue was China “slow walking the approval” of critical mineral exports and rare earth magnets, US Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender told CNBC on Monday.But he maintained Washington is making “good progress” overall in talks.

The organizer of this year’s San Francisco Pride didn’t expect rejection when she contacted sponsors, but amid US President Donald Trump’s anti-diversity offensive, several longtime backers have withdrawn their support.”It was quite frightening,” said Suzanne Ford, executive director of the California-based group which is among America’s most influential gay rights organizations.”In about a week and a half period, several corporations came back and said ‘We’re not sponsoring this year,'” she told AFP. In total, Ford’s group faced a $300,000 budget hole, with longstanding partnerships suddenly unwilling to fill it ahead of the late June festivities. “It’s disheartening,” Ford said.One of Pride’s major partners, the brewer Anheuser-Busch, has withdrawn, according to the organization. The brewing company did not respond to requests from AFP.The lack of sponsorships is “newsworthy for sure,” noted Eve Keller, co-president of the USA Prides network of nearly 200 march organizations nationwide.Several US companies have opted to stop financially supporting organized events, especially those in June, designated as LGBTQ Pride Month.Pride organizations are reluctant to call them out, however, for fear of cutting ties. “Some are still talking with us,” Ford said. “We hope they return.”In some cities where 2025 Pride marches have already occurred, groups proceeded with “tighter” budgets, according to Keller.”They just didn’t have headliners (or) could not hire the biggest, best band,” she added, although for her, the main focus in 2025 was to ensure the safety of participants.- ‘Between the lines’ -In San Francisco, the companies all pointed to “budgetary reasons” for scaling back their contributions, said Ford.But “I think you could read between the lines,” she added. “No one wanted to be on record saying anything, you know, that would hurt them with the administration or with people that support the administration.” Since returning to the White House in January, Republican billionaire Trump has led a crusade against programs promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).Companies that implement such policies are threatened with prosecution, and several major brands, including Meta, Target and McDonald’s, have either abolished their DEI programs or drastically reduced them.The so-called “anti-woke” pressure campaign comes as US capital Washington hosts WorldPride, a global event for LGBTQ rights, culminating in a major parade this weekend.June Crenshaw, one of the rally’s organizers, estimates she suffered “about a 20, 25 percent reduction” in business partnership and support.”So we’ve had to look at other ways in which to finance programming, etc, really leaning on the community and individual donations,” she said. WorldPride organizers also decided to turn away from their “long and strong partnership” with the Kennedy Center after President Trump seized the reins of Washington’s renowned cultural institution, Crenshaw added.- ‘Pinkwashing’ -According to Bob Witeck, a communications consultant on LGBTQ topics for major brands, companies fear that taking part in these events could expose them to “visible risk” during a sensitive political period and “put themselves in harm’s way needlessly.”But several firms “are still engaged,” he stressed, including “through the nonprofits they serve.”San Francisco’s Ford noted that “pinkwashing” — the practice of superficially promoting LGBTQ rights — is no longer fashionable.By contrast, companies are contacting her offering support “but not wanting any credit,” Ford said.They “just want to do the right thing.”

A US prisoner on death row and a Catalan jazz star who formed an unusual musical collaboration have released a second album together that rallies against capital punishment. Catalan musician Albert Marques and Keith LaMar, who performs over the phone from a maximum security prison in Ohio, debuted their new work “Live from Death Row” at a gathering in New York last Friday.On death row since 1995 after he was convicted of a crime he insists he did not commit, LaMar’s execution is scheduled for January 13, 2027.The album, which coincides with LaMar’s 56th birthday, chronicles the civil rights struggle of Black people like himself.It features compositions by Marques with lyrics by LaMar, alongside classics such as Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” and “Alabama” by John Coltrane.LaMar said that music “saved his life” during solitary confinement, particularly jazz tracks like those on Coltrane’s 1964 album “A Love Supreme.””Music is the vehicle through which I’ve been able to resurrect my bid for freedom,” he told AFP.”I love it when a plan comes together, when the stars align to bring to fruition a dream that didn’t seem possible. That’s what this live album is — an impossible dream.”It follows 2022’s “Freedom First,” which turned into a clarion call for a fair retrial that could ultimately lead to LaMar’s release.”This music is about trust and faith (and) about stepping out even when you can’t see the stairs and believing that your foot will find something solid to stand on,” LaMar told AFP by email.- ‘This crazy thing’ -Marques, who is convinced of LaMar’s innocence, said “we have done this crazy thing at the highest possible level.”After staging concerts worldwide in recent years and “showcasing that we have done everything we could, we need help” to take the fight “to another level,” said Marques, a Brooklyn high school music teacher.”We may be tired, exhausted, but we cannot throw in the towel.”In 1995, an all-white jury found LaMar guilty of the deaths of five out of nine inmates and one guard killed during one of the worst prison riots in US history.During the incident, which happened in 1993, LaMar was already serving a sentence for the murder of a former friend during a drug dispute in his native Cleveland.LaMar, as well as recent journalistic investigations, claimed that exculpatory evidence was hidden at trial and destroyed, and other prisoners were rewarded with sentence reductions for implicating him.Ohio’s governor had postponed LaMar’s execution, originally scheduled for November 2023, due to the refusal of pharmaceutical companies to supply the components needed for lethal injection.However, the situation could change following President Donald Trump’s January 20 executive order directing the US attorney general to ensure states can access the necessary ingredients.Nineteen inmates have been executed so far this year, compared to 25 in all of 2024.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the renaming of a US Navy ship named after a gay icon, the assassinated former San Francisco politician Harvey Milk, a military affairs website reported Tuesday.Military.com said it had reviewed a memo from the Office of the Secretary of the Navy that said the move was in line with Hegseth’s purported goal of “reestablishing a warrior culture” in the US armed forces.Military.com quoted an unidentified defense official as saying that Navy Secretary John Phelan had been ordered by Hegseth to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, and the timing of the upcoming announcement — during LGBTQ WorldPride month — was intentional.CBS News said the navy is considering re-titling several other ships including two named after former US Supreme Court justices — Thurgood Marshall, the first Black member of the top court, and liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg.Responding to the reports, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said “any potential renaming(s) will be announced after internal reviews are complete.””Secretary Hegseth is committed to ensuring that the names attached to all (Department of Defense) installations and assets are reflective of the Commander-in-Chief’s priorities, our nation’s history, and the warrior ethos,” Parnell said in a statement.Democrat Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, condemned the reported move to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, calling it “a shameful, vindictive erasure of those who fought to break down barriers for all to chase the American Dream.””Harvey Milk proudly served as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy and was a formidable force for change -– not just in California, but in our Country,” the California congresswoman said in a statement.”This spiteful move… is a surrender of a fundamental American value: to honor the legacy of those who worked to build a better country.”Milk served as a US Navy diver at a time when there was a ban on homosexuality in the military.One of the first openly gay politicians in America, Milk was elected to San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors, where he was instrumental in passing laws banning discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.Months later, in 1978, Milk was shot dead along with mayor George Moscone, by a disgruntled former city supervisor.Milk’s murder helped cement his reputation as a civil rights icon, and he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.The USNS Harvey Milk, a 227-metre (744-foot) refueling vessel, was christened at a ceremony in 2021 attended by then-secretary of the navy Carlos Del Toro.Since taking office, President Donald Trump has moved to ban transgender troops from the military and to dismantle diversity programs, claiming they “undermine leadership, merit, and unit cohesion, thereby eroding lethality and force readiness.”

Canada’s wildfires, which have already forced evacuations of more than 26,000 people, continued their stubborn spread Tuesday, with heavy smoke choking millions of Canadians and Americans and reaching as far away as Europe.Alerts were issued for parts of Canada and the neighboring United States warning of hazardous air quality.A water tanker air base was consumed by flames in Saskatchewan province, oil production has been disrupted in Alberta, and officials warned of worse to come with more communities threatened each day.”We have some challenging days ahead of us,” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe told a news conference, adding that the number of evacuees could rise quickly.Every summer, Canada grapples with forest fires, but an early start to the wildfire season this year and the scale of the blazes — over two million hectares (494,000 acres) burned — is worrying.The provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba have been hardest hit. Both declared wildfire emergencies in recent days.”This has been a very difficult time for many Canadians,” federal Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski told reporters in Ottawa.”This wildfire season has started off more quickly, and it’s stronger, more intense,” she said, adding that the Canadian military has deployed aircraft to evacuate remote towns in Manitoba and was ready to also assist Saskatchewan and Alberta with firefighting.Climate change has increased the impact of extreme weather events in Canada, which is still recovering from the apocalyptic summer of 2023 when 15 million hectares of forests were scorched.As of Tuesday, there were 208 active fires across Canada. Half of them were listed as out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.Many of the affected populations are Indigenous, and some small communities have burned to the ground.- ‘Very intense few weeks’ -Heavy smoke from the fires, meanwhile, has engulfed part of the continent, forcing residents of four Canadian provinces and the US states of Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin to limit outdoor activities.”Smoke is causing very poor air quality and reduced visibility,” Environment Canada said in a statement.Wildfire smoke is comprised of gaseous pollutants such as carbon monoxide, along with water vapor and particle pollution, which can be particularly hazardous to health.Some of the worst smoke was in Alberta where three major oil sands producers — Canadian Natural Resources, MEG Energy Corp, and Cenovus Energy — this week evacuated workers and temporarily shut down hundreds of thousands of barrels of production per day.Huge plumes of smoke even reached Europe, the European Union’s climate monitoring service said Tuesday.Due to their very high altitude, they do not pose an immediate health risk, according to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), but are likely to result in hazy skies and reddish-orange sunsets.Additional plumes are expected to shade both continents in the coming days.”Central regions of Canada have experienced a very intense few weeks in terms of wildfire emissions,” noted Mark Parrington, scientific director at CAMS.Canadian authorities have forecast a more intense fire season than usual in central and western Canada, due in particular to severe or extreme drought.”The significant reduction in snowpack in the spring led to early exposure of soil and vegetation, accelerating surface drying,” explained University of Ottawa professor Hossein Bonakdari.”This early exposure acted as a silent amplifier, subtly setting the stage for extreme fires long before the first flame ignited,” he said.Elsewhere, extensive forest fires have been raging in Russia’s Far Eastern Federal District since early April, particularly east of Lake Baikal, generating carbon emissions of around 35 million tons, Copernicus reported.