News

Portugal and the U.S. fall victim to intense wildfire conditions

Published

4 years ago

July 11, 2022

William Howard

Extreme fire conditions have spread across the globe with the U.S. scorched and dozens injured in Portugal

Dozens have been injured as a wildfire tears through Portugal leaving 12 firefighters and 17 civilians in medical care.

3,000 firefighters have now been deployed to tackle the inferno as temperatures throughout the country reach 43 degrees Celsius.

The European Union has activated its air fleet assistance programme allowing member nations to share their resources.

Spain has been one of the first countries to lend a hand, mobilising two firefighting planes.

96 per cent of Portugal is considered as being in ‘extreme’ or ‘severe’ drought and the sweltering heat wave currently hanging over the nation is only expected to worsen.

The government has declared a heightened state of alert which will remain in place until at least Friday.

Wildfires throughout the U.S.

It’s been an explosive few months when it comes to wildfires in the U.S., but it’s tipped to get a whole lot worse as summer approaches.

Landscapes are being described by experts as ‘tinderboxes’ – so dry that a single spark could lead to catastrophe.

The Pacific north-west, north California, Texas, Hawaii and Alaska are all forecast to be among those hardest hit by fire conditions.

Four key factors are at play here – drought, dried fuels, windy or warm weather and ignitions.

The climate crisis is also making matters worse and leading to more intense conditions.

Over the first six months of this year alone, we’ve seen a controlled burn in New Mexico escape its containment and escalate into a wildfire in Alaska, a lightning storm led to the destruction of 2 million acres, and this is just to name a few.

When compared with the previous 10-year average, 220 per cent more land has been lost as a result of fires.

News

Russia bans WhatsApp and promotes state-backed messaging app

Kremlin blocks WhatsApp, urging citizens to use state-backed MAX; critics warn of surveillance, prompting protests in Moscow.

Published

2 hours ago

February 13, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Kremlin blocks WhatsApp, urging citizens to use state-backed MAX; critics warn of surveillance, prompting protests in Moscow.

The Kremlin has officially blocked WhatsApp, urging Russians to switch to MAX, a state-backed messaging app. This move comes after Meta refused to comply with local regulations, sparking debates over digital freedom in the country.

Critics warn that MAX could be used for government surveillance, though authorities deny these claims. The ban highlights Russia’s growing control over foreign tech platforms and its push for locally regulated alternatives.

Activists in Moscow have staged protests calling for an open and unregulated internet, while the public reacts with a mix of concern and resignation.

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News

U.S. secretly sent 6,000 Starlink terminals to Iran after protests

US covertly sent 6,000 Starlink terminals to Iran amid protests, aiding internet access despite government shutdowns and crackdown violence.

Published

2 hours ago

February 13, 2026

Harvey Vargas

US covertly sent 6,000 Starlink terminals to Iran amid protests, aiding internet access despite government shutdowns and crackdown violence.

U.S. officials report that the Trump administration covertly sent around 6,000 Starlink satellite internet terminals into Iran following widespread protests. The move was designed to bypass strict internet blackouts imposed by authorities in Tehran.

The terminals reportedly enabled activists and dissidents to reconnect with the outside world during periods of severe digital restriction, raising fresh questions about foreign involvement and cyber strategy.

As geopolitical tensions simmer, the revelation underscores how connectivity has become a powerful tool in modern conflict.

#Iran #Starlink #DonaldTrump #MiddleEast #GlobalPolitics #TechNews #InternetFreedom #BreakingNews

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News

Anthropic secures 30 billion in fresh funding as valuation surges

Anthropic raises $30B, doubling valuation to $380B, boosting global AI race with support from GIC, Coatue, Microsoft, and Nvidia.

Published

2 hours ago

February 13, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Anthropic raises $30B, doubling valuation to $380B, boosting global AI race with support from GIC, Coatue, Microsoft, and Nvidia.

Anthropic has secured a staggering $30 billion in fresh funding, catapulting its valuation to $380 billion and cementing its place among the most valuable AI companies in the world. The raise marks the second-largest private technology funding round ever, trailing only OpenAI’s $40 billion deal.

Major backers in this latest round include Singapore’s GIC and Coatue Management, alongside existing heavyweight partners Microsoft and Nvidia. The scale of the investment underscores intensifying global competition in artificial intelligence as capital continues to flood into the sector.

Anthropic’s valuation has more than doubled in just five months, fuelled by rapid enterprise growth. The company now works with eight of the Fortune 10 and boasts more than 500 customers spending over $1 million annually, highlighting surging demand for advanced AI tools across corporate America.

#ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Anthropic #TechNews #VentureCapital #BigTech #Innovation #Startups