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The Sun
18-07-2025
- Climate
- The Sun
Wildfires rip across Spain turning Madrid skies ORANGE as army deployed with fears wild winds will wreak havoc today
WILDFIRES are ripping across Spain turning Madrid's skies orange as the army deploys to fight the out of control blazes. Fears are rising that a dry wind today will fan the flames further and firefighters could be in for a long haul trying to get them back under control. 6 6 One blaze sending smoke over Madrid has already burned through 3,000 hectares and is threatening to burn more. More than 100 firefighters are battling it from the ground and air as officials told dozens of people to leave their homes and evacuate. Planes and helicopters could be seen dropping huge amounts of water across the hot zone. Firefighters on the ground hacked away at scrub and dirt as they sought to stop the blaze from spreading. The Spanish army deployed its emergency unit - which includes firefighters. The fire, about 30miles southwest of the capital, broke out on Thursday near the town of Mentrida. Temperatures reached 37 degrees in Madrid. The city's civil protection authority advised people to stay indoors and recommended masks to avoid inhaling ash as the gigantic cloud of orange and grey smoke hung over the city. Officials said on Friday morning that 95 per cent of the fire had been contained by the brave firefighters. With a reduction in smoke and better visibility, transport authorities have also been happy to open nearby roads. Tomorrowland chaos after huge fire breaks out on main stage a DAY before festival is due to start But officials are now worried that firefighters could lose control the blaze again due to the wind forecast. Temps are forecast to reach 34 degrees today in the city, but gusts of up to 39mph could fan the flames further. Large parts of eastern Spain are under heat and fire warnings running from the Pyrenees down to the southern coast. The mayor of Méntrida, Alfonso Arriero, said firefighters near the blaze were trying to stop it from sparking back up. He said: "We're using all available resources in case the wind changes direction or a flare-up flares up again. 6 6 "But right now, we're calm about that, but at the same time, we're quite concerned about what's happening and how it doesn't flare up again." The cause of the fire is unknown. Last week, Spanish authorities ordered nearly 20,000 people to stay indoors due to smoke in Catalonia after one blaze burned 3,000 hectares. Two died in a separate wildfire in the same region on July 1. It comes after a wildfire erupted in London on Monday with 125 firefighters battling to keep the blaze away from nearby homes. Plumes of dark smoke could be seen hanging over rows of houses in the East London area while grass could be seen burning away. And Tomorrowland bosses have pledged to build a new main stage in time for this weekend's festival after the original burned down. Years of creativity and craftsmanship had gone into building the main stage set piece but the whole lot went up in flames on Wednesday.
South China Morning Post
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- South China Morning Post
Ride-hailing is set to be legalised in Hong Kong in 2026 but what questions remain?
Hong Kong authorities have unveiled highly anticipated proposals to regulate ride-hailing services, marking a significant milestone for a sector that has existed locally in a grey area for a decade. However, unanswered questions remain on the proposed new regulatory regime, with figures for quotas on ride-hailing vehicles, a levy on trips and assorted fees not yet disclosed. The Post unpacks the regulatory proposals and how they may affect users of ride-hailing services. 1. What is the proposed legal framework? Transport authorities announced their proposals on Tuesday and hope to legalise ride-hailing services as early as the first half of next year. Under the proposed framework, ride-hailing platform operators and drivers will be subject to renewable licences every five years, and vehicles annually, to prevent the speculative trading that is rampant in the taxi trade. Ride-hailing vehicles must not be older than seven years and must also be registered in the name of the owner, who will have to pay for commercial insurance. Platform operators must be Hong Kong-registered companies that meet the government's required operation threshold and have a certain investment commitment to be eligible to provide ride-hailing services. Drivers must also be aged 21 or above, hold a private driving licence for at least one year, pass an assessment, and have had no serious traffic incidents in the past five years. Existing cabbies are allowed to obtain such a licence without going through the assessment.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Massive change on roads after new Aussie speed cameras rolled out
Average speed cameras in New South Wales appear to be having the intended effect. Data from a nine-week trial period shows drivers responding as authorities had hoped, before the cameras at the two locations were switched from trial to enforcement mode this month. Motorists were warned that fines of up to $2,959 for light vehicles and the loss of six demerit points would be enforced should they be caught exceeding the speed limit at those spots. The cameras are positioned on two key routes: The Pacific Highway, along a 15 km stretch between Kew and Lake Innes on the NSW Mid North Coast; and on the Hume Highway, along a 16 km stretch between Coolac and Gundagai in the state's south. This week, after reviewing the latest data transport authorities confirmed to Yahoo News that speeding dropped by an incredible 38 per cent, on average, across the two locations throughout the nine-week monitoring period, despite no threat of fines. It means that drivers were taking notice and slowing down anyway. "There's already been a big drop in speeding at both sites," the state government said, adding that all money from fines (speeding, red lights, phones, seatbelts) goes into the Community Road Safety Fund, which supports road safety programs across NSW. Experts say average speed cameras are one of the most effective tools for reducing speeding-related crashes. Also known as point-to-point cameras, they work by calculating a vehicle's average speed over a monitored road section rather than capturing it at a single point. They record a vehicle's entry and exit times at two points, then calculate whether the average speed exceeds the limit. These are the only average speed cameras in NSW to date that will lead to fines for light vehicles; all other locations around the state monitor the speed of heavy vehicles only. The technology has proved effective in other developed nations, including the UK, Norway, Italy and the Netherlands, and their use has also been adopted in other Australian states in recent times. Warning as new cameras officially target drivers from today Millions warned as speed camera change becomes official Urgent warning over deadly trend on Aussie roads In an earlier update at the end of June, Transport for NSW reported that by the end of the seventh week in the trial period, there had been a 48 per cent "improvement in behaviour" on the Pacific Highway with the number of light vehicle drivers detected speeding dropping to one in every 235. An improvement of 37 per cent was seen on the Hume Highway, where the figure dropped to one in every 194. Now, by the end of the entire nine-week testing period, the collective decrease sits at 38 per cent, showing that the figures remain steady. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
The Standard
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Standard
Lawmaker raises infrastructure concerns over Guangdong southbound car scheme
Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles to be rolled out this year with limited quotas: sources
The Guardian
23-05-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
Trains delayed, roads closed and ferries cancelled across Sydney as flooding leads to transport chaos
Heavy rainfall across Sydney has caused chaos on roads and railways as authorities warn of delays for those descending on the city for the opening of the Vivid lights festival. More than 200mm of rain fell in Richmond, about 90mm in Camden, more than 50mm in Katoomba and at least 75mm at Sydney airport in the 24 hours to 9am on Friday. Parts of the Illawarra, including Clover Hill, received more than 200mm of rain, causing localised flooding on the coast. Sydney and the Blue Mountains were expecting a further dump of up to 100mm over the next 24 hours. Warragamba dam was at 97% capacity and could spill on Friday or Saturday, Water NSW said. Days after a downed power line crashed Sydney's rail system for almost 48 hours, the network was again plagued by disruptions, with stretches of two lines not running. On Friday afternoon, trains were not running on the Airport and South line between Revesby and Turrella 'due to flooding', nor on the Central Coast line between Newcastle and Morisset after a landslip and flooding. Limited buses were replacing train services, with passengers advised to seek alternative travel or delay non-essential movements. Trains were also delayed or changed to shuttle services on the Leppington, Liverpool and Inner West, Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra, Hunter, Southern Highlands and South Coast lines. There were cancellations across Sydney's ferry network, including on the Parramatta River. Sign up to Morning Mail Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Transport for NSW warned that flood waters had caused 'several major closures' on roads on the mid-north coast, Hunter and in parts of Sydney. Sydney's Vivid festival was scheduled to open on Friday evening. The Transport for NSW coordinator general, Howard Collins, said: 'If you are heading in tonight to see Vivid Sydney, please allow plenty of extra travel time and check your transport apps before heading out.' Additional reporting Australian Associated Press
