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

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Feeling the urge to glug a glass of water shortly after you’ve munched a packet of crisps, bowl of popcorn or handful of peanuts, is a clear sign your snack was on salty side – and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. “Salt is a necessary requirement to eat – and not for flavour,” says Pippa Hill, nutritionist and founder of The Weight Loss Guru. Table salt, aka sodium chloride, contains around 40% sodium, an essential nutrient. “Eaten in a small quantity, sodium helps the conduction of nerve impulses, muscle contraction and relaxation, and helps maintain the balance of water and minerals,” she continues. “A lack of salt can lead to muscle cramps, nausea, fatigue and light-headedness.” However, consuming more than the 6g a day recommended by the NHS for adults – equating to around one teaspoon – can be detrimental for your health. “A high salt intake disrupts the natural sodium balance in the body,” says Olivia Burley, registered associate nutritionist who is currently working on the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme. This can result in high blood pressure, she explains: “Hypertension is a condition where blood pressure remains elevated over time, which can increase the risk of heart and circulatory diseases.” Unless you keep a very close eye on food labels, it’s not always obvious how much salt you’re eating in a day. “Examples of foods high in salt can be canned fish or poultry, frozen foods such as breaded meats, salted nuts, canned beans, cured meats, soup and sandwiches,” says Hill. And just because you’ve drunk enough water to quench your thirst doesn’t mean you’re negating the effects of too much salt, which is why it’s important to be aware of other health indicators. “If you are experiencing any or all these symptoms, it is always best to seek medical advice,” Burley advises. 1. Headaches The dehydration caused by excess salt intake can lead to severe headaches. “These headaches tend to be more painful than a mild one, giving a throbbing sensation as the blood vessels are being expanded,” Hill says. “They tend to come on between an hour or two after you’ve eaten, as sodium levels rise through the body.” They may come on quicker if you have high blood pressure or suffer from chronic headaches in general, but can often be solved by rehydrating. “As your water levels are imbalanced, by drinking more water you’re able to minimise and get rid of the headache.” 2. Swollen feet and hands Also known as edema, swelling of the fingers, ankles or feet can be a delayed reaction to a spike of sodium. “When too much salt is consumed, the body retains the extra sodium and increases the fluid outside of the cells, Burley explains. “This causes the kidneys to have reduced function, remove less water and therefore increase blood pressure.” Swelling may occur more when sitting down for too long or on long journeys. “This isn’t an instant response after eating, but if in the next 24 hours of having eaten salty foods you notice swelling in these areas, it could be a link,” Hill says. “It’s best to seek medical advice if this is an ongoing occurrence, as it could be a sign of a more serious health concern.” 3. High blood pressure “Salt is the largest cause of high blood pressure,” Hill warns. “Within just 30 minutes, eating excess salt will have a bodily reaction to the blood vessels.” Also called hypertension, if left untreated it can increase your risk of serious problems such as heart attacks and strokes. Hills says: “If after eating a salty diet, your symptoms include blurred vision, chest pain such as a tight feeling, palpitations, shortness of breath or sudden nosebleeds, it could mean you have a raised blood pressure.” Burley adds: “Hypertension can often have no symptoms and the only way to know your blood pressure is to get it monitored using a machine.” 4. Frequent urination “Excessive thirst is a common response to eating salty foods and naturally leads to an increase in fluid consumption, causing excessive urination,” Burley says. By sending the signal that you need to guzzle lots of liquid, the body aims to remove the excess salt build-up. “Although drinking more fluids in response to an increase in salt is one of the main reasons for urine production, it could be a symptom of other conditions like polyuria, therefore medical checks are best.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Am I just tired or is it ME? Dr Alex George: Five months of sobriety has made a ‘huge difference’ Everything you need to know about Sophie, the new Duchess of Edinburgh

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Republican 2024 presidential candidate and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy concluded an interview on Fox & Friends by trying to rap. Host Steve Doocy said, “Someone has uncovered that in college … you were a libertarian rapper.” “Some of these opposition research stories are false, but I will confirm that one is true,” Mr Ramaswamy replied with a smile. “I was a little bit of a libertarian freestyler in college and had some fun with it.” “That’s kind of what I’m doing on the campaign trail: freestyling my message,” he added. Then the GOP candidate showed that the rumours were true, breaking into a freestyle on the air: “My name’s Vivek, it rhymes with ‘cake,’” he opened. “It is about thee, the United States is about lib-er-tee, so Fox & Friends join us on the trail, we’ll have some fun, I’ll see you at the trail.” Viewers quickly mocked Mr Ramaswamy’s rap abilities. One user on X, formerly known as Twitter, wrote: “One Watch 2024 Candidate Vivek ‘Da Vek’ Ramaswamy Freestyle Rap on Fox & Friends (He’s Not Great)” Another commented on the video: “*gag*” And yet another wrote: “Aaaaand that just ended his campaign lol” Someone even went so far as to say that Mr Ramaswamy “is just embarrassing at this point.” Read More Ramaswamy slated to headline South Carolina county GOP fundraiser in return to early voting state The presidential candidates who have so far met criteria to join first RNC debate GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy lists Senators Ted Cruz and Mike Lee as possible Supreme Court picks

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