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.
President Javier Milei has introduced a new labour reform proposal to Argentina’s Congress, aiming to address what his administration describes as a...
The global centre of political gravity is increasingly moving from the Atlantic to the Pacific, a development with significant implications for the So...
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will visit Turkmenistan on 11–12 December to attend the International Peace and Security Forum in Ashgabat....
The South Caucasus is witnessing a notable recalibration of geopolitical alignments, with Azerbaijan and Armenia both pursuing strategic partnerships ...
Torrential rain swept across the Gaza, flooding hundreds of tents and homes sheltering families displaced by years of conflict, raising concerns that ...
The global centre of political gravity is increasingly moving from the Atlantic to the Pacific, a development with significant implications for the South Caucasus and Central Asia.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will visit Turkmenistan on 11–12 December to attend the International Peace and Security Forum in Ashgabat.
The South Caucasus is witnessing a notable recalibration of geopolitical alignments, with Azerbaijan and Armenia both pursuing strategic partnerships with global powers, including the United States and China.
Torrential rain swept across the Gaza, flooding hundreds of tents and homes sheltering families displaced by years of conflict, raising concerns that the fragile truce may be cracking as authorities struggle to manage the growing humanitarian crisis.
Scores of demonstrators gathered outside the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo Tuesday (9 December) to protest against the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
The world’s leading minds and voices will be honoured on Wednesday, 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death, as Nobel Prizes are presented in Stockholm and Oslo.
In a dramatic Champions League clash at Baku’s Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, Qarabağ grabbed an early lead, but Ajax staged a thrilling comeback to win 4-2.
At least 19 people were killed and 16 injured as two buildings collapased in Morocco's Fes city according to the state news agency.
Iran's President Massoud Pezeshkian has begun a two day visit to Kazakhstan, with officials from both sides describing the trip as an opportunity to advance cooperation in trade, transport, industry, mining and cultural exchanges.
The White House has confirmed that U.S. President Donald Trump intends to maintain both a “good working relationship” with China and a “very strong alliance” with Japan, even as tensions between the two countries continue to rise.
Pakistan has indicated its openness to forming a regional bloc with Bangladesh without including India. The statement from Islamabad follows comments by Bangladesh’s top foreign affairs adviser, Md Touhid Hossain, that such an arrangement is strategically possible without India.
President Javier Milei has introduced a new labour reform proposal to Argentina’s Congress, aiming to address what his administration describes as a "rigid structure" that has hindered job creation in the country.
Torrential rain swept across the Gaza, flooding hundreds of tents and homes sheltering families displaced by years of conflict, raising concerns that the fragile truce may be cracking as authorities struggle to manage the growing humanitarian crisis.
In a significant shift in its foreign policy, China has unveiled a new policy paper promising no-strings-attached development support to Latin America and the Caribbean, signalling a major upgrade in its engagement with the region.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment