International

Portugal on alert over fears of fresh wildfire threat

AFP

Portugal, hit by a third heatwave after weeks of wildfires, was on a 24-hour national alert Monday to counter the threat posed by more blazes, authorities said.

Under its measures, the authorities have restricted access forests and banned fireworks displays, as well as stepping up the state of readiness of the emergency services.

Having only just brought under control a fire that destroyed more than 28,000 hectares (69,000 acres) in the Serra da Estrela national park, civil protection authorities said firefighters were tackling another blaze in the central northern Vila Real region.

“According to provisional estimates, this fire has burnt 4,500 hectares,” emergency and civil protection services head Andre Fernandes said of the blaze in a hard-to-access mountainous area.

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Two Canadair water bomber planes sent by Greece under the terms of an EU-wide civil protection support mechanism were aiding firefighters’ efforts.

The government issued the alert Sunday after identifying a heightened risk of rural fires as temperatures look set to hit 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) Monday and Tuesday amid an ongoing severe drought.

The latest heatwave comes with Portugal having experienced its hottest July in almost a century.

Since January, the country’s Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests says more than 94,000 hectares of land have been laid waste to in Portugal’s worst forest fires since 2017, when a series of blazes cost dozens of lives.

Portugal last Wednesday finally extinguished a fire which had burnt more than 25,000 hectares of land in the UNESCO-listed central mountainous area of Serra da Estrela, home to diverse wildlife species including wildcats and lizards.

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Minister of the Presidency Marina Vieira da Silva said after meeting mayors of affected municipalities that Lisbon was declaring “a state of natural disaster” to allow the release of rapid aid.

The government is also drawing up a “revitalisation plan” for the Serra da Estrela park.

The consensus among scientists is that climate change has increased the probability of heatwaves, leading to drought and more forest fires.

International

Bill Gates to testify before Congress over Epstein connections

Bill Gates is set to testify on June 10 before a congressional committee in United States investigating links connected to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a source familiar with the matter told AFP on Tuesday.

The Microsoft co-founder is among several high-profile figures named in documents released by the Department of Justice, which detail alleged close associations, questionable financial dealings, and private photographs involving Epstein.

According to a spokesperson cited by Politico, Gates “welcomes” the opportunity to appear before the committee. The representative emphasized that Gates “never attended or participated in any illegal activities with Epstein” and is prepared to answer questions to support the investigation.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.

In late February, Gates told members of his foundation’s board that his association with Epstein was a “huge mistake.” He has consistently denied any involvement in the financier’s criminal activities. Epstein died by suicide in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking minors.

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“I did nothing illegal. I saw nothing illegal,” Gates said, according to a recording obtained by The Wall Street Journal.

Gates acknowledged that his relationship with Epstein began in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor.

A draft email written by Epstein and released by the Department of Justice referenced alleged extramarital relationships involving Gates. The message, which was apparently never sent, claimed that Epstein had helped “Bill” obtain medication related to encounters with Russian women.

Gates admitted to having had two extramarital affairs but denied any involvement with Epstein’s victims.

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International

Former Trump allies call for removal, cite 25th Amendment amid Iran threats

Former allies of U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday called for his removal from office, arguing he is unfit to continue in the role following recent threats to “wipe out an entire civilization,” made just hours before the deadline of his ultimatum to Iran.

One of the most prominent voices was former Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who invoked the 25th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as a mechanism to remove the president from power.

“25th Amendment! Not a single bomb has fallen on the U.S. We cannot annihilate an entire civilization. This is evil and insanity,” Greene wrote on social media platform X.

Greene, once a leading figure within Trump’s political movement during his first term, broke with the president last November over disagreements on foreign policy and his handling of controversial cases.

Another former supporter, controversial commentator Alex Jones, also raised the possibility of applying the constitutional provision during his show, in a conversation with attorney Robert Barnes.

Barnes explained that invoking the 25th Amendment requires the support of two-thirds of Congress, making it a more complex process than impeachment.

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Section 4 of the amendment, ratified in 1967, establishes that the vice president, together with a majority of the cabinet, can declare the president unable to perform the duties of the office, a decision that must then be confirmed by both chambers of Congress.

The statements come amid rising international tensions and increasing domestic political pressure on the president.

International

Trump pauses strikes on Iran, extends ultimatum by two weeks

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, announced a temporary suspension of attacks against Iran for a period of two weeks, extending the ultimatum he had imposed on Tehran just hours before its deadline.

According to the president, the measure is conditional on Iran allowing the “full, immediate, and secure” reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump stated that the decision would involve a reciprocal ceasefire between both parties.

The announcement was made through a message on his social media platform, where he emphasized that the pause in military actions is intended to create space for de-escalation in the region.

He also noted that the decision followed a conversation with the prime minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, who requested a two-week extension of the ultimatum.

The move comes amid heightened global tensions, marked by escalating threats and concerns over the potential impact of the conflict on key international energy trade routes.