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.
A powerful magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula early Wednesday, triggering tsunami warnings for parts of Russia and Jap...
Pakistan is upgrading its shipping fleet to improve efficiency, cut freight costs, and adopt cleaner maritime technologies....
Germany is preparing multi-billion-euro defence purchases including jets and thousands of armoured vehicles, aiming to create Europe’s most powerful...
The Australian government has reversed its earlier decision to exempt YouTube from a landmark social media ban targeting under-16s, following concerns...
Natural disasters including wildfires, storms, and earthquakes led to an estimated $131 billion in economic losses globally during the first half of 2...
Natural disasters including wildfires, storms, and earthquakes led to an estimated $131 billion in economic losses globally during the first half of 2025, according to a report released Tuesday by German reinsurer Munich Re.
A gunman who killed four people and injured several others in a Manhattan office building left a note blaming the NFL for a brain injury he believed he had, New York officials said, linking the rampage to suspected chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Spotify projected third-quarter profit below market expectations on Tuesday, citing increased tax expenses linked to employee compensation, despite strong demand for its premium subscription services.
Microsoft is reportedly in advanced negotiations to revise its agreement with OpenAI, aiming to maintain access to the startup’s cutting-edge AI technology even if OpenAI achieves artificial general intelligence (AGI), according to Bloomberg News, which cited sources familiar with the matter.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
Australian researchers have pioneered a low-cost and scalable plasma-based method to produce ammonia gas directly from air, offering a green alternative to the traditional fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
'Superman' continued to dominate the summer box office, pulling in another $57.25 million in its second weekend, as theatres welcome a wave of blockbuster competition following a challenging few years for the film industry.
A powerful magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula early Wednesday, triggering tsunami warnings for parts of Russia and Japan, and a tsunami watch for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Pakistan is upgrading its shipping fleet to improve efficiency, cut freight costs, and adopt cleaner maritime technologies.
Germany is preparing multi-billion-euro defence purchases including jets and thousands of armoured vehicles, aiming to create Europe’s most powerful army amid concerns over U.S. reliability.
The Australian government has reversed its earlier decision to exempt YouTube from a landmark social media ban targeting under-16s, following concerns raised by the country’s internet watchdog.
Natural disasters including wildfires, storms, and earthquakes led to an estimated $131 billion in economic losses globally during the first half of 2025, according to a report released Tuesday by German reinsurer Munich Re.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment