Spanish authorities have ordered the evacuation of four villages on Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands, due to a rapidly spreading wildfire in the nature park surrounding Mount Teide volcano, Spain's highest peak.
The fire, which started on Tuesday night, has already devastated about 130 hectares near Mount Teide and was estimated to have grown to approximately 150 hectares by Wednesday.
The north-east region of Tenerife, characterised by its steep ravines and densely forested areas, is a significant challenge for emergency crews.
Rosa Davila, the president of the Tenerife council, expressed concern in a local radio interview. “This blaze has a huge potential; we have asked for additional means," she said..
“It mainly affects the Corona Forestal national park, which is densely populated with pine trees and woods. Aircraft are necessary due to the steep terrain.”
In response, helicopters have been dispatched to douse the flames with water, Canarias Radio reported.
The villages of Arrate, Chivisaya, Media Montana, and Ajafona have been evacuated.
The TF-24 and TF-523 motorways have been temporarily closed given their proximity to the wildfire.
The wildfire was declared on August 15 at 11:36pm on the TF-523, affecting the municipalities of Arafo and Candelaria.
The severity of the fire has been raised to level 2, prompting the government of the Canary Islands to assume control of emergency operations.
The Canary Islands experienced a heatwave over the past week, which left many areas extremely dry and increased the wildfire risk.
Emergency services have been cautioning residents and tourists about the conditions.
Other potential disruptions include power cuts, possible ashfall leading to reduced visibility, and traffic delays due to road closures.
Authorities have also indicated that more routes might be closed, and additional communities may be evacuated depending on the fire's progress.
Residents and visitors in the region are advised to heed evacuation orders, stay updated on road conditions, remain indoors in well-ventilated areas to minimise smoke exposure, and prepare a “go-bag” with essential items.
Summer engulfed by wildfires and intense heatwaves
Across Europe, countries are grappling with extreme temperatures and escalating wildfires, stoking concerns about the mounting consequences of climate change.
Spain, in the grip of soaring temperatures, issued three red weather alerts. Regions such as Catalonia, Aragon and the Balearic Islands are expected to face temperatures of up to 44ºC.
Similarly, the Italian capital, Rome, posted a record-breaking temperature of 41.8ºC, surpassing last year's peak.
Over the past few weeks, wildfires have raged across the continent.
Portugal faced a huge firefighting challenge. More than 1,000 firefighters worked tirelessly to contain a central fire that destroyed more than 7,000 hectares.
Cyprus made urgent international appeals for assistance in tackling an enormous forest fire north of Limassol. Aid was provided by Greece, Jordan and Israel.
Joint efforts by Spain and France successfully contained a wildfire threatening the area near their shared border.
The cause of these drastic temperature surges is being linked to anticyclone Charon, which has its origins over North Africa.
The World Meteorological Organisation said the current heatwave might worsen, heightening health concerns.
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
HOW TO WATCH
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MATCH INFO
Everton v Tottenham, Sunday, 8.30pm (UAE)
Match is live on BeIN Sports
The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
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OPTA'S PREDICTED TABLE
1. Liverpool 101 points
2. Manchester City 80
3. Leicester 67
4. Chelsea 63
5. Manchester United 61
6. Tottenham 58
7. Wolves 56
8. Arsenal 56
9. Sheffield United 55
10. Everton 50
11. Burnley 49
12. Crystal Palace 49
13. Newcastle 46
14. Southampton 44
15. West Ham 39
16. Brighton 37
17. Watford 36
18. Bournemouth 36
19. Aston Villa 32
20. Norwich City 29
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'Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower'
Michael Beckley, Cornell Press
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
European arms
Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons. Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
