Category Archives: Portugal

France braces for record temperatures as wildfires rage across Europe

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Thousands evacuated as above 40C forecast for some French regions on Monday and more lives lost in soaring heat in Spain

France was bracing on Monday for the peak of the heatwave gripping the country, with crushing temperatures expected from the Mediterranean, as wildfires continued to rage across Europe.

Forecasters have put 15 departments in France on the highest state of alert for extreme temperatures, including Gironde in the south-west, where wildfires have already wrought havoc.

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Forest fires rage across Europe as heatwave sends temperatures soaring

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Civil defence authorities battle blazes that have forced evacuation of thousands of people across continent

Firefighters in Portugal, Spain, France, Greece and Morocco are battling forest fires raging across tens of thousands of hectares as this week’s heatwave continues to bring extreme temperatures and cause hundreds of deaths across south-western Europe.

The second heatwave of the summer – with temperatures hitting 47C (116F) in Portugal and 45C in Spain – has triggered wildfires that have forced the evacuation of thousands of people.

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Firefighters tackle southern Europe wildfires as heatwave passes 45C

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Portugal and Spain among countries affected as rescue forces from Greece help battle blazes in southern France

Firefighters are working tirelessly to tackle wildfires raging in parts of southern Europe as a result of soaring temperatures linked to the climate crisis.

France, Portugal and Spain are among the European countries particularly affected, with temperatures of more than 45C (113F) recorded during a heatwave that is also sweeping the UK.

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Thousands evacuated as heat causes wildfires in Europe and north Africa

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Portugal declares ‘state of contingency’ as France, Spain and Morocco also battle fires, while record heat hits China

Thousands of people in Portugal, Spain, France and Morocco have been evacuated from their homes as firefighters tackle wildfires caused by this week’s heatwave, which has brought extreme temperatures of more than 45C (113F) to parts of Europe and north Africa.

One person has died and at least 135 people have suffered mainly minor injuries since wildfires began in Portugal last week. A “state of contingency” has been in effect since Sunday, and about 800 people have been evacuated from their homes, according to the country’s Civil Protection Authority.

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Shanghai declares third rare extreme heat warning of summer

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Temperatures of over 40C cause red alert in the city and test records as heatwave ravages parts of Europe

China’s most populous city, Shanghai, has issued its highest alert for extreme heat for the third time this summer as sweltering temperatures repeatedly tested records this week.

The commercial and industrial hub of 25 million people declared a red alert on Thursday, warning of expected temperatures of at least 40C (104F) in the next 24 hours. Temperatures soared as high as 40.6 C in the afternoon but fell short of Wednesday’s 40.9 C, which matched a 2017 record.

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Dangerous heatwaves engulf parts of China, US and Europe

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At least 86 Chinese cities issue alerts, while temperatures soar in south-west and central US and Iberian peninsula

Dangerous heatwaves are engulfing parts of China, Europe, south-west and central US this week, as dozens of cities have found themselves dealing with soaring summer temperatures.

By Tuesday afternoon, at least 86 Chinese cities in eastern and southern parts of the country had issued heat alerts. Chinese meteorologists forecast temperatures in some cities would top 40C (104F) in the next 24 hours.

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Holidaymakers warned of rising coronavirus cases at European destinations

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Increases reported in countries including Greece, Spain, France and Germany as Omicron variant BA.5 spreads

Holidaymakers heading to and from the European mainland are being warned of a growing incidence of coronavirus, especially in tourist hotspots, which risks hampering travel plans.

Health officials are calling in some cases for a reintroduction of face masks and other measures, and are urging travellers to exercise personal responsibility, warning that an escalation of the virus could lead to the swift return of restrictions.

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Covid surges across Europe as experts warn not let guard down

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Calls grow for greater measures against wave of BA.4 and BA.5 cases in countries from Spain to Denmark

Multiple European countries are experiencing a significant surge in new Covid-19 infections, as experts warn that with almost all restrictions lifted and booster take-up often low, cases could soar throughout the summer leading to more deaths.

According to the Our World in Data scientific aggregator, the rolling seven-day average of confirmed new cases per million inhabitants is on the rise in countries including Portugal, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, the Netherlands and Denmark.

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Omicron subvariant drives spike in cases and deaths in Portgual

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Europe faces prospect of further Covid measures later in the year as share of Omicron BA.5 cases rise in Portugal and Germany

A spike of Covid-19 cases and deaths in Portugal driven by the Omicron BA.5 subvariant in spite of warm temperatures is causing capitals across Europe to once again consider measures against a pandemic that has started to fade into public memory.

Portugal confirmed 26,848 new cases and recorded 47 Covid deaths on Wednesday – the highest daily death toll since 17 February, when 51 deaths from the disease were reported.

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UK to announce more monkeypox cases as efforts ramp up to contain outbreak

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Close contacts of those infected with rare disease offered vaccines and told to isolate for up to 21 days

Public health officials are to announce more UK monkeypox cases on Monday, as efforts ramp up to contain the first multinational outbreak of the virus that has led to cases in at least 14 countries.

The unusual outbreak of the rare disease has sparked a wave of contact tracing and testing, with the closest contacts of confirmed cases – such as partners and people in the same household – offered a vaccine and told to isolate at home for up to 21 days.

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‘Some new evidence’ found against Madeleine McCann suspect

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German prosecutor says investigators are sure Christian Brückner killed three-year-old and have ‘new facts’

Fresh evidence has been found against the prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, a German prosecutor has revealed.

Hans Christian Wolters said in an interview on Portuguese television that investigators believed they had found “some facts, some new evidence, not forensic evidence.”

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Madeleine McCann: Portuguese authorities declare man formal suspect

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German police had previously said Christian Brueckner, 44, was probably responsible for toddler’s disappearance in 2007

A German man has been formally identified as a suspect in the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann 15 years ago, Portuguese prosecutors have said.

Christian Brueckner, a convicted rapist, has been made an “arguido”, translated as “named suspect” or “formal suspect” who is treated by Portuguese police as more than a witness but has not been arrested or charged.

The German’s lawyer said that his client has not been charged over the case.

Prosecutors in Faro did not publicly name the man but said in a statement he was identified as a suspect by German authorities at their request.

The timing of the move could be related to Portugal’s 15-year statute of limitations for crimes with a maximum prison sentence of 10 years or more. Madeleine disappeared on 3 May 2007, while on holiday with her parents in Praia da Luz in Portugal.

It is the first time that Portuguese prosecutors have identified an official suspect in the case since Kate and Gerry McCann, Madeleine’s parents, were named suspects in 2007. They were later cleared.

Prosecutors said the investigation has been carried out with cooperation from British and German authorities.

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São Jorge island prepares to evacuate amid major earthquake fears

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Airlines increasing flights to Portuguese island after six days of minor temblors, say authorities

Authorities on a Portuguese island in the north Atlantic are preparing for the possible evacuation of local people, as six straight days of tremors stoked fears of a possible major earthquake or volcanic eruption.

The president of the Azores Islands’ regional government said on Thursday that airlines were increasing the number of flights into and out of São Jorge, where about 8,300 people live, for people who prefer to leave now.

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Ship carrying luxury cars sinks near Azores Islands after burning for weeks

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Authorities fear that thousands of tons of fuel carried onboard could leak and pollute the ocean

An abandoned ship carrying an estimated $401m (£295m) worth of cars, including Porsche, Audi, Bentley and Lamborghini models, has sunk nearly two weeks after a fire broke out onboard.

The Felicity Ace sank on Tuesday about 400 kilometers (250 miles) off Portugal’s Azores Islands as it was being towed, MOL Ship Management in Singapore said in a statement. A salvage team had put out the fire which had burned for days, fueled by lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles onboard.

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European countries dominate half of Asian shark fin trade, report reveals

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Despite nearly a third of shark species nearing extinction, Spain supplied 51,000 tonnes of shark fins from 2003-20, says IFAW

European countries are selling so many shark fins to Asia that they dominate nearly half the trade, a study has found.

Shark populations continue to decline, driven by the global shark fin trade. Last year, scientists found a third of sharks and ray species have been overfished to near-extinction, jeopardising the health of entire ocean ecosystems and food security for many countries.

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Abandoned burning ship ‘had $400m cargo of luxury cars’

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Estimate by insurers comes as Felicity Ace is ‘still assumed to remain on fire south of the Azores’

An abandoned ship that caught fire in the mid-Atlantic last week was carrying $401m (£295m) worth of cars, including Porsche, Audi, Bentley and Lamborghini models, an insurance estimate has revealed.

Felicity Ace, a specialist cargo ship carrying more than 4,000 cars, caught alight near the Azores on Wednesday evening. The vessel’s 22 crew members were evacuated but the fire continued to burn for several days, fuelled by lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles on board.

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Ghost village emerges in Spain as drought dries out reservoir – video

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A ghost village that has emerged after drought nearly emptied a dam on the Spanish-Portuguese border is drawing crowds of tourists. With the reservoir at 15% capacity, details of a life frozen in 1992, when the Aceredo village in Spain’s north-western Galicia region was flooded to create the Alto Lindoso reservoir, are being revealed once more

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Ghost village emerges in Spain as drought empties reservoir

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Village of Aceredo in Galicia was flooded in 1992 to create Alto Lindoso reservoir

A ghost village that has emerged as drought has nearly emptied a dam on the Spanish-Portuguese border is drawing crowds of tourists with its eerie, grey ruins.

With the reservoir at 15% of its capacity, details of a life frozen in 1992, when the Aceredo village in Spain’s north-western Galicia region was flooded to create the Alto Lindoso reservoir, are being revealed once more.

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Costa’s win in Portugal continues comeback by Europe’s centre-left

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Analysis: Social democratic parties that have adapted to the political landscape are winning elections again

The unexpected triumph of António Costa’s Socialist party in Portugal’s elections this week continues a cautious comeback by Europe’s centre-left – and, analysts say, may hold some lessons in what remains a mixed picture for the continent’s social democrats.

After wins last autumn by Germany’s SPD and Norway’s Labour party, the Portuguese prime minister’s unexpected victory – with 41.7% of the vote, five points up on 2019 – was further good news for a movement that five years ago looked in terminal decline.

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High hopes for Portugal’s optimism-prone Socialist PM after big win

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Analysis: Absolute majority frees António Costa from having to rely on allies as he leads economic recovery

In 2016, Portugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, issued a lighthearted rebuke to his prime minister: António Costa, the president noted, was prone to “a chronic and slightly irritating optimism”.

Almost six years on, Costa’s optimism appears fairly well founded. On Sunday night the 60-year-old leader of Portugal’s Socialist party (PS) defied the polls, as well as political trends elsewhere in Europe, to secure a surprise outright majority in a snap general election.

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