Algeria said it has contained deadly wildfires which have raged across the country this week, killing at least 34 people and displacing thousands in the country.
Across the border in Tunisia, where one person has died, firefighters and military forces say the flames were under control by Wednesday afternoon after hitting the impoverished Tabarka region in the north-west.
In Algeria, civil protection authorities contained the blaze, state TV reported early on Wednesday.
At least 1,500 people were forced from their homes as the fires spread, fanned by record-breaking temperatures which pushed the blazes into neighbouring Tunisia.
Across the Mediterranean, swathes of southern Europe are also in flames as a heatwave engulfs the region, with three wildfires in Greece prompting record evacuations and leaving thousands of holidaymakers stranded.
The record-breaking heat has exacerbated the wildfire season in Algeria.
Ten soldiers died after being trapped in Bejaia province as a series of fires raged through the mountain forests of the Kabylia region.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune sent his condolences to the families of those killed.
“I have nowhere to go now – my house and that of my son have been completely destroyed by flames,” said a tearful elderly woman who lost her daughter-in-law and granddaughter. She spoke on TV from Ait Oussalah.
Algerian authorities reported progress in fighting back most of the fires over recent days, having mobilised more than 8,000 civil defence personnel, 500 fire engines and multiple aircraft.
Witnesses described fleeing walls of flames that raged “like a blowtorch”. TV footage showed charred cars, burnt shops and smouldering fields.
In Tunisia, fearful residents told The National they were struggling to breathe and sleep as heavy smoke engulfed border areas.
“I had an inflammation flare-up as I got dehydrated and could not breathe,” said Raouia, 27.
“It felt like judgment day and I was praying that the night would be over soon.”
Tunisian firefighters and military forces were also able to extinguish the wildfires by Wednesday afternoon.
"All fires in the country are under control and we have overcome the danger stage, caution remains in place due to the continuous winds," Civil Defence spokesman Brig Gen Moez Triaa told local radio Mosaique.
One person died in thick smoke from the wildfires in the Tabarka region, where 2,300 people have fled their homes in several areas.
Tunisia's President Kais Saied cut short a trip to Italy because of the fire crisis.
Algeria's recurring fire challenge
Severe wildfires have become a frequent occurrence in recent years in Algeria amid continuing droughts in North Africa with tinder-dry conditions meaning the risk remains.
Temperatures of about 48°C are expected to continue until August, the country’s meteorological service has warned.
Last year, fires from June to September alone burnt 40,000 hectares of forest, damaging the country’s El Kala National Park. A spate of forest fires in September left 30,000 people homeless, according to the Algerian Red Crescent.
At the time, Algiers had to lease aircraft from Russia to tackle the blazes and the Red Crescent mobilised to send aid to hard-hit communities.
In August 2021, 60,000 hectares of woodland were destroyed by wildfires with Nasa satellite imagery capturing vast plumes of smoke in the mountainous areas near Bejaia and Tizi Ouzou.
A report by the European Commission into hundreds of wildfires in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa warned that “due to climate change and the increase in the duration and intensity of dry periods and heatwaves, more intensive forest fire seasons are expected in the future”.
For Algeria, the report said that the country’s 4.1 million hectares of woodland were “constantly threatened by the risk of fire which, each summer, devours thousands of hectares of forest … especially since the forests in Algeria lack facilities and accessibility, which further complicates the task of intervention in the event of a fire outbreak”.
THE%20SPECS
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Pupils in Abu Dhabi are learning the importance of being active, eating well and leading a healthy lifestyle now and throughout adulthood, thanks to a newly launched programme 'Healthy Lifestyle'.
As part of the Healthy Lifestyle programme, specially trained coaches from City Football Schools, along with Healthpoint physicians have visited schools throughout Abu Dhabi to give fun and interactive lessons on working out regularly, making the right food choices, getting enough sleep and staying hydrated, just like their favourite footballers.
Organised by Manchester City FC and Healthpoint, Manchester City FC’s regional healthcare partner and part of Mubadala’s healthcare network, the ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ programme will visit 15 schools, meeting around 1,000 youngsters over the next five months.
Designed to give pupils all the information they need to improve their diet and fitness habits at home, at school and as they grow up, coaches from City Football Schools will work alongside teachers to lead the youngsters through a series of fun, creative and educational classes as well as activities, including playing football and other games.
Dr Mai Ahmed Al Jaber, head of public health at Healthpoint, said: “The programme has different aspects - diet, exercise, sleep and mental well-being. By having a focus on each of those and delivering information in a way that children can absorb easily it can help to address childhood obesity."
Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%208
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Company%20Profile
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Jebel Ali results
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner: AF Al Moreeb, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
2.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Shamikh, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 64,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: One Vision, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
3.30pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Gabr, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
4pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 96,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Just A Penny, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
4.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Torno Subito, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 76,000 (D) 1,950m
Winner: Untold Secret, Jose Santiago, Salem bin Ghadayer
Bridgerton%20season%20three%20-%20part%20one
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVarious%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nicola%20Coughlan%2C%20Luke%20Newton%2C%20Jonathan%20Bailey%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
More coverage from the Future Forum
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 – Group 1 (PA) $65,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $65,000 (Turf) 1,800m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic – Listed (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,600m
8.15pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $195,000 (T) 2,810m
8.50pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (T) 2,000m
9.25pm: Meydan Challenge – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,400m
