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As wildfires rage across Sicily and Greece, Portugal is the latest Mediterranean country to be hit. A fire broke out on 26 July near the popular coastal holiday spot of Cascais, just 30km west of capital city Lisbon. The blaze started at 5pm in part of the Sintra-Cascais natural park, with strong winds fanning the flames and quickening the spread. Local residents chipped in to help the hundreds of Portuguese firefighters sent to tackle the fires, with some attempting to protect their homes and villages with buckets of water and hosepipes. “The fear now is that it will get to the houses,” local resident Ines Figueiredo told Reuters. “We try to help as much as we can with buckets (of water) ... but it’s not worth much.” Planes were also dispatched to waterbomb the blaze before night fell, alongside more than 600 firefighters. Winds of of up to 60km/h were the biggest obstacle to putting out the fire, according to the mayor of Cascais, Carlos Carreiras. A number of local residents have been evacuated as a precaution. If you’re booked to travel to Portugal, is it still safe to go? And what are your rights if you cancel a holiday? Here’s what we know. Where is affected by the wildfires? So far, the fire is contained to Sintra-Cascais natural park; it hasn’t spread as far as the resort of Cascais, popular with holidaymakers for its beaches and vibrant marina. Some villages within the vicinity of the park have been affected, with nine firefighters and four civilians so far treated for minor injuries and some residents evacuated. Elsewhere, smaller blazes have been reported in the north and centre of Portugal, one of which is near the second city of Porto. The highest level of alert for rural fire danger has been issued for several regions, including holidaymakers’ favourite, Faro in the Algarve. Is it safe to travel to Portugal? So far, the one major blaze has yet to impact on any areas that tourists are likely to visit. Unlike the Greek island of Rhodes, where a number of holidaymakers have had to be evacuated from the worst-affected areas, Portugal’s wildfires won’t affect the overwhelming majority of visitors. The UK Foreign Office (FCDO) advice on Portugal has not been updated to reflect the latest fires; its standard advice reads: “Forest fires can occur anywhere in Portugal. Risk of fires is higher when the weather is hot and dry. Fires have become more common due to drought and high temperatures. “Forest fires are highly dangerous and unpredictable. The Portuguese authorities may evacuate areas and close roads for safety reasons. You should: familiarise yourself with local safety and emergency procedures follow the advice of the Portuguese authorities call the emergency services on 112 if you see a wildfire “Starting a forest fire, even if it is by accident, is illegal in Portugal.” No holidays to Portugal appear to have been cancelled by travel companies at this time. Can I cancel my holiday to Portugal? Cancelling a holiday to Portugal based on the currently very small risk of fire impacting the trip would very likely lead to you losing any money paid so far. While most tour operators are offering customers due to travel to fire-affected parts of Rhodes the option of cancelling and rebooking, the same is not true of Portugal, where the blaze is yet to affect tourist areas. If you’ve booked travel and accommodation separately, rebooking flights in many cases costs as much as buying a whole new ticket. Cancellation costs incurred also won’t be covered by your travel insurance in the vast majority of cases, as the FCDO has not issued an advisory against all “non-essential” travel to Portugal. Read More More than two million expected to head overseas for summer getaway despite heatwave 8 best cities and towns in Portugal to visit on your next holiday Best beaches and seaside holidays in Europe 2023 ‘I cannot hold the pee’: Woman caught urinating on plane cabin floor How to spot a hidden camera in your Airbnb Tourists flying into Greece inferno reveal why they refuse to cancel holiday

A group of women brawled in the stands during the Cubs-White Sox game.

Conor McGregor has paid tribute to his ‘friend’ Sinead O’Connor, following the singer’s death at the age of 56. O’Connor’s passing was confirmed in a statement by her family on Wednesday (26 July), though no cause of death was disclosed. The Dublin-born musician’s death comes just 18 months after her son Shane, 17, committed suicide. O’Connor, most famous for her cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” (released in 1990), sang during McGregor’s walkout at UFC 189 in July 2015, and her compatriot paid tribute on Wednesday. “The world has lost an artist with the voice of an Angel,” McGregor wrote on Twitter. “Ireland has lost an iconic voice and one of our absolute finest, by a long shot. And I have lost a friend. “Sinead’s music will live on and continue to inspire! Rest In Peace, Sinead you are home with your son I am sure.” O’Connor sang “The Foggy Dew” at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas as McGregor walked to the Octagon to face Chad Mendes. McGregor knocked out the American in the second round to win the interim UFC featherweight title. The Irishman’s entrance that night (which you can watch below) is widely considered to be the most iconic walkout in UFC history. McGregor, 35, would go on to become undisputed featherweight champion later in 2015, before becoming the UFC’s first ever dual-weight champion by winning the lightweight title in 2016. O’Connor changed her name to Shuhada’ Sadaqat in 2018 after converting to Islam, but she continued to perform under her birth name. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More ‘It isn’t good’: Sinead O’Connor’s heartbreaking final video just days before her tragic death Michael Bisping: ‘The challenge of coming back to grapple appeals to me’ UFC 291 live stream: How to watch Poirier vs Gaethje online and on TV this weekend

By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) -Prince Harry can take some of his lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper group to

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Former Made In Chelsea star Georgia Toffolo attempted to praise David Cameron on social media and it went as well as you might expect. Toffolo, who is also known by the name “Toff”, rose to fame as a reality star and became friends with Stanley Johnson, father of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, during an appearance on ITV’s I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. But, in a recent tweet, Toff found receiving pushback after sharing her praise for another former Tory PM, Cameron. She shared a picture of Cameron addressing a room full of people and wrote: “I can confirm that David Cameron has still got it.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter It didn’t take long for many people to point out some of Cameron’s decisions made as a leader that they believe had a devastating effect on the country. Political commentator, Supertanskiii, wrote: “By ‘it’ you presumably mean the sheer audacity to show his face in public after absolutely destroying Britain with austerity and Brexit?” In a similar vein, Dom Joly, asked: “By ‘it’ I presume you mean eternal shame for panicking about empty threats from Farage and enabling Brexit, sending us into an economic death spiral?” Someone else joked: “Don’t get too close or your might catch it…” “Hope he keeps it to himself then !!!” another commented. One Twitter user asked: “The ability to f*** everything up and then walk away like it wasn't his fault? Is that 'it'?” Cameron famously called for the 2016 EU referendum that paved the way for Brexit, which many believe has been negative for the country and its economy. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

LONDON (Reuters) -Prince Harry can proceed with some of his lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch's UK newspaper arm but his allegations

The moment Sinead O'Connor ripped up a photo of the Pope has resurfaced as the singer has died. The Grammy-winning singer who shot to international stardom in 1990 with the hit ballad 'Nothing Compares 2 U', and released 10 studio albums between 1987 and 2014 has died aged 56, her family confirmed. As well as being famous for her music, she also was known for some controversial moments. O'Connor was performing on Saturday Night Live on October 1992 when she ripped up the photo of the head of the Catholic church. The then 26-year-old singer performed an a cappella rendition of Bob Marley’s 'War' to bring attention to the issue of child abuse. As she finished singing, the singer held up a picture of Pope John Paul II and tore it to pieces in front of the camera. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter She then blew out the candles on stage and walked off. The stunt was reportedly to protest the issue of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, long before such allegations were widely reported. The network received complaints after the stunt and O'Connor also received death threat, boos, and had to cancel lots of gigs. Remembering the incident in her 2021 autobiography, Rememberings, she wrote: "'When I walk backstage, literally not a human being is in sight. "All doors have closed. Everyone has vanished. Including my own manager, who locks himself in his room for three days and unplugs his phone." And in 2010, when Pope Benedict XVI apologized to Ireland to atone for decades of abuse, O'Connor condemned the apology for not going far enough and called for Catholics to boycott Mass until there was a full investigation into the Vatican's role. Announcing the singer's death in a statement yesterday, O'Connor's family said: "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad. "Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time." They did not report the cause of her death. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.