Wildfire & Extreme Weather: Belgium’s biggest wildfire in a century is being pushed toward full encirclement in the High Fens, with rainclouds grounding aircraft and gusty winds still threatening the hard-to-access front near the German border. Marine Wildlife Under Threat: Iberian orca “La Abuela” (Toñi) has been found with fresh puncture wounds suspected to be from shotgun pellets, prompting a Spanish investigation and close monitoring of infection risk. Plastic Pollution in Nature: New research finds microplastics in Amazonian wildlife—including fish, tapirs, bats and other species—even inside protected areas, showing how contamination moves through aquatic and land food chains. Portugal Policy for Climate Resilience: Portugal’s expert group on Segurança Social recommends an auto-enrolment workplace pension to strengthen retirement income, with contributions shared by worker, employer and state. Energy Transition in Portugal: Portugal is working toward a 3 GW battery storage target by 2030, aiming to boost grid flexibility as renewables scale up. Biodiversity & Land Use (EU): EU soy compliance with sustainability guidelines fell to 44% in 2024, as new rules shift focus toward deforestation regulation and due diligence. Portugal–EU Climate Finance Pressure: A report warns that Europe’s uninsured climate losses are increasingly landing on public budgets, turning extreme weather into a growing fiscal risk.