Israel declares national emergency as massive wildfires rage near Jerusalem
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Jerusalem: Israel is grappling with its worst wildfires in decades as massive blazes spread rapidly in areas surrounding Jerusalem. Responding to the situation Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared a national emergency. The fires, fueled by high temperatures and strong winds, have triggered large-scale evacuations and road closures, with authorities warning that the flames could reach the capital.
According to reports, smoke was seen billowing over major highways near Jerusalem on Wednesday, as firefighters rushed to control the situation. Several individuals have been injured, and hundreds of civilians are believed to be at risk, said Israel’s Magen David Adom (MDA) rescue agency, as reported by The Guardian.
The wildfires have engulfed forested regions west of Jerusalem, with authorities evacuating towns and deploying police personnel along the Jerusalem–Tel Aviv highway. Citizens have been advised to avoid the affected routes and stay away from national parks, many of which have been closed due to the danger.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who visited the affected sites, suggested that arson may be a possible cause behind the fires. He added that an investigation is underway.
Israel has reached out to neighboring countries, including Greece, Bulgaria, and Italy, seeking assistance. Italy and Croatia have reportedly agreed to send three aircraft to support firefighting operations on the ground.
Social media footage shows the fires approaching several illegal Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. Emergency services are working around the clock to prevent further spread and minimize damage.
With temperatures expected to remain high, authorities continue to monitor the fire’s progress and have not ruled out additional evacuations if conditions worsen.
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Andhra to be developed as knowledge, creator economy hub: CM Naidu
New Delhi/Amaravati (PTI): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said the state is taking steps to transform itself into a knowledge and creator economy hub with a strong focus on artificial intelligence and quantum technology.
He noted that Andhra Pradesh has abundant tech-driven youth and the government is formulating plans to train them in futuristic technologies with support from global technology firms.
"Our goal is to transform Andhra Pradesh into a knowledge hub by focusing on AI, quantum computing, data centres, drone cities and space cities. The youth will remain our biggest asset over the next 25 years, and we seek global partnerships to scale up the creator economy," said Naidu during his interactions at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi.
Naidu, who participated in the summit in the national capital, also held meetings with several global technology leaders and industrialists to explore collaborations in artificial intelligence, clean energy and innovation ecosystems.
He met Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, Autodesk AI Head Mike Haley, Aramco India Director Abdul Rehman AiThukair, LEGO Education Vice President Tom Hall, Aadhaar Founder and CTO Srikanth Nadhamuni, Khosla Ventures Managing Partner Vinod Khosla and others at the AP Pavilion.
The chief minister also held discussions with Saudi Aramco representatives on clean energy projects, including solar initiatives, and invited the company to expand operations in Andhra Pradesh, stating that the state is highly suitable for green energy production.
He sought support from NVIDIA Vice President Callista Redmond for establishing AI Living Labs and proposed partnerships through the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub to promote youth innovation, including collaborations with IIT Tirupati and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati under the Andhra Pradesh Future Innovation and Research for Science and Technology (AP FIRST) initiative.
Naidu urged Autodesk leadership to support the development of Global Capability Centres in design engineering and requested the establishment of an Innovation Academy in Amaravati aligned with quantum technology, besides proposing AI and robotics learning labs in partnership with LEGO Education.
He also discussed AI-driven smart governance solutions with Quantela Inc Chairman Sridhar Gadhi, while World Bank Group Digital AI Regional Director Mahesh Uttamchandani met Naidu on the sidelines of the summit.
Following the meetings, Naidu visited various exhibition stalls at the summit, including those of NVIDIA, Tata, Intel and Microsoft, and reviewed AI applications across agriculture, healthcare and industry.
