Over 1,300 firefighters, supported by around a dozen water-dropping aircraft, were deployed on Tuesday to combat three major wildfires sweeping across central and northern Portugal. Following weeks of scorching temperatures, authorities placed much of the country on red alert for fire risk.
The most severe blaze has been burning since Monday in the Arouca region, roughly 300 km (185 miles) north of Lisbon. Emergency services evacuated several dozen residents and closed the popular Passadiços do Paiva hiking trail, a major tourist attraction.
“It’s heartbreaking to witness this again. We need help, we need air support,” said Rafael Soares, a resident of the village of Canelas, referencing a massive fire last September that scorched 6,000 hectares of forest nearby. He attributed the repeated fires to droughts intensified by climate change, which have left local forests extremely dry.
Farther north, a wildfire has been raging since Saturday in Peneda-Gerês National Park near the Spanish border, blanketing nearby villages in thick smoke and prompting authorities to issue stay-at-home warnings. Spain dispatched additional aircraft to assist with firefighting efforts in the region.
In Spain’s Castile and León region, three wildfires were active early Tuesday, the largest of which was near Ávila, approximately 100 km (62 miles) west of Madrid. Residents in the town of Mombeltrán were instructed to remain indoors due to heavy smoke.
While hot, dry summers are typical across the Mediterranean, rising global temperatures and increasingly severe heatwaves have fuelled more destructive wildfires in recent years.
Türkiye has also faced a surge in wildfires in recent weeks, with temperatures soaring and 10 firefighters losing their lives last week in Eskişehir province. In Greece, several villages were evacuated over the weekend, and at least five people were injured in separate blazes.
The United States and Iran have significantly escalated their conflict, exchanging heavy missile and drone strikes across the Gulf region. Iran claim...
Twelve people have been arrested in connection with an alleged extreme right-wing terrorism plot targeting a major Islamic gathering in Suffolk, promp...
Ukraine and a group of key Western allies have launched a new air defence coalition to develop a European anti-ballistic missile system that will comp...
The United States and Iran have significantly escalated their conflict, exchanging heavy missile and drone strikes across the Gulf region. Iran claims it has once again closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route.
Twelve people have been arrested in connection with an alleged extreme right-wing terrorism plot targeting a major Islamic gathering in Suffolk, prompting counter-terrorism police to declare a major incident and bring the event to an early close.
Ukraine and a group of key Western allies have launched a new air defence coalition to develop a European anti-ballistic missile system that will complement existing defences and reduce reliance on the costly U.S.-made Patriot system.
Two endangered loggerhead sea turtles have been released into the Mediterranean from Türkiye's Antalya province as part of a conservation project to track their migration and strengthen protection efforts.
The 4th Shusha Global Media Forum will bring together nearly 160 media leaders, experts and officials from 54 countries in Azerbaijan's historic city of Shusha on 13-14 July, to discuss journalism’s role in peacebuilding, restoring public trust and tackling challenges.
The U.S. has launched fresh strikes on Iran after Tehran targeted a container ship and said it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz. Iran also claimed to have expanded attacks on U.S. military facilities across the Gulf.
Typhoon Bavi, the strongest storm to hit the eastern coast of mainland China this year, brought heavy rain, strong winds, flooding and landslides after making landfall in Zhejiang province on Sunday. More than 2.8 million people were evacuated to safety ahead of the storm.
President Ilham Aliyev is holding his annual question-and-answer session with international journalists at the 4th Shusha Global Media Forum in Azerbaijan.
Qatar is mourning the death of its former ruler, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who has passed away at the age of 74.
Twelve people have been arrested in connection with an alleged extreme right-wing terrorism plot targeting a major Islamic gathering in Suffolk, prompting counter-terrorism police to declare a major incident and bring the event to an early close.
Ukraine and a group of key Western allies have launched a new air defence coalition to develop a European anti-ballistic missile system that will complement existing defences and reduce reliance on the costly U.S.-made Patriot system.
Russian athletes will once again be allowed to represent their country in international modern pentathlon competitions after the sport's governing body lifted restrictions on their participation, marking another step in Russia's return to international sport.
The AFC/M23 rebel movement is using its response to a small Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as evidence of its ability to govern territory under its control, establishing parallel health structures and relying partly on support from neighbouring Rwanda.
Britain has moved to target Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and another Iran-linked organisation using new state-threat powers following a series of antisemitic incidents across the country.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment