International
Portugal hopes cooler temperatures will tame wildfires
AFP
Portugal, hit by a third heatwave after weeks of wildfires, said Monday that it hoped cooler temperatures and increased air humidity in the coming days would help tame the blazes.
A current national alert would not be prolonged beyond midnight on Tuesday, “thanks to a significant improvement” in the meteorological conditions, said Interior Minister Jose Luis Carneiro following a meeting with the civil protection services.
According to the forecasts, temperatures are expected to fall and air humidity increase from Wednesday, “to such an extent that we believe it’s possible to review the restrictions, Carneiro said.
Under the national alert announced on Sunday, authorities had restricted access to forests and banned fireworks displays, and also stepped 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 on Monday that 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.
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 degrees 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.
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
Random attack in NYC Subway: Man pushed onto tracks and struck by train
A man is in critical condition after being pushed onto the tracks and run over by a moving train at a subway station in New York City on Tuesday, according to the city’s police, who are treating the incident as a random attack.
The attack occurred around 1:30 p.m. local time at the 18th Street station on the 1 line, allegedly as the train was entering the Manhattan station. At that moment, a man wearing a hood and face mask, who had been captured on station cameras moments earlier, pushed another man who was standing on the platform and apparently did not know him.
International
Trinidad and Tobago Declares State of Emergency Amid Surge in Criminal Activity
The Government of Trinidad and Tobago announced on Monday that the country has been declared in a state of emergency due to the increase in criminal activity.
The declaration was made by President Christine Kangaloo on the advice of Prime Minister Keith Rowley, in response to the escalation of criminal activity that poses a serious threat to public safety, in accordance with the country’s Constitution.
The country has recently witnessed a rise in gang-related violence. In one incident, five people were killed in an attack in Laventille, a suburb of the capital city, Port of Spain, local media reported.
International
Azerbaijan claims Russian air defense hit plane before crash, investigation promised
Azerbaijan stated on Monday that Russia promised to identify and punish those responsible for the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane, which Baku claims was hit by Russian air defense systems before crashing in Kazakhstan on December 25.
Azerbaijan’s Attorney General, Kamran Aliev, said in a statement that the head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrikin, informed him that “intensive measures were taken to identify the culprits and hold them criminally accountable.”
Russia also promised to “conduct a thorough, exhaustive, and objective investigation” into the incident, in addition to the investigations being carried out in Kazakhstan, where the plane crashed, the Azerbaijani prosecution added.
Random attack in NYC Subway: Man pushed onto tracks and struck by train
Trinidad and Tobago Declares State of Emergency Amid Surge in Criminal Activity
Azerbaijan claims Russian air defense hit plane before crash, investigation promised
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Ecuador prison riot leaves at least 43 dead
-
Central America5 days agoHonduras receives two Airbus H-145 D3 helicopters to strengthen humanitarian and anti-drug efforts
-
International5 days agoU.S. health authorities report mutation of avian flu virus in Louisiana patient
-
Central America4 days agoGuatemala issues arrest warrant for Lev Tahor Leader, Interpol launches international alert
-
International4 days agoMachado appeals to venezuelan military and police to join the change for freedom
-
International5 days agoJosé Mujica’s recovery continues with successful stent procedure in esophagus
-
International5 days agoPreliminary Investigation Suggests ‘External Interference’ in Azerbaijan Airlines Plane Crash in Kazakhstan
-
International3 days agoShark attack kills 40-year-old fisherman in Great Barrier Reef waters
-
Internacionales3 days agoAt least 15 bodies found in clandestine graves in Chiapas amid rising violence
-
International2 days agoPeru closes 101 ports as powerful waves hit coastlines, leaving damage in Ecuador
-
Central America2 days ago
Two Guatemalan soldiers die in helicopter crash during anti-drug operation in Ixcán
-
International2 days ago
Azerbaijan claims Russian air defense hit plane before crash, investigation promised
-
International18 hours agoTrinidad and Tobago Declares State of Emergency Amid Surge in Criminal Activity
-
International18 hours agoRandom attack in NYC Subway: Man pushed onto tracks and struck by train