DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

Others took evening walks in the city and shared the bright orange scenes on social media. A low-pressure system over northern Africa swept dust over Cyprus several times in mid-April, “darkening skies and reducing air quality,” NASA said Tuesday. Dust was expected to continue to cross the Mediterranean, impacting both Cyprus and Greece over the next several days, NASA said. People cross a snow covered railway in Helsinki, Finland, on April 23, 2024, as an unusual weather system brought trams in the city to a halt. Photos showed Helsinki residents walking through thick snow and ice, carrying umbrellas under heavy snowfall, and tall clusters of snow piled up on sidewalks, cars and scooters.

Persons: Alessandro Rampazzo, Johannes Laitila, Finavia, ” Finavia, ”, Antti Vigelius Organizations: CNN, NASA, Anadolu Agency, Getty, YLE, Helsinki Airport, Johannes Locations: Greece, Africa, Athens, Cyprus, Helsinki, Finland, Europe

☆ Starbucks is laying off thousands of workers in the Middle East in response to Gaza boycotts
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Starbucks’ Middle East franchisee, Alshaya Group, is cutting thousands of jobs at its coffee shops because of a “challenging” work environment as the chain grapples with boycotts over the brand relating to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Kuwait-based Alshaya has owned rights to operate Starbucks in the Middle East for more than 25 years and operates around 1,300 locations across the region, employing about 11,000 people. Starbucks’ most recent earnings report missed expectations, partially because of weaker sales in the region. Starbucks isn’t alone: McDonald’s said last month that it’s experiencing “meaningful business impact” in the Middle East because of the war. Brands, which owns KFC and Pizza Hut, said its chains’ “sales were impacted by the conflict in the Middle East region with varying degrees of impact,” which dented same-store sales growth in several countries.

Persons: Alshaya, “, ”, McDonald’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, Starbucks, East, Alshaya, CNN, Reuters, Alshaya Group, Brands Locations: New York, Gaza, East, Northern Africa, Kuwait, Western

☆ Locust Swarms Could Expand Their Range in a Hotter, Stormier World
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Raymond Zhong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Rising temperatures could expand the area of the globe under threat from crop-devouring locusts by up to 25 percent in the coming decades, a new study found, as more places experience the cycles of drought and torrential rain that give rise to biblical swarms of the insects. Desert locusts for millenniums have been the scourge of farmers across northern Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. They love hot, dry conditions, but they need the occasional downpour to moisten the soil in which they incubate their eggs. Human-caused warming is heating up the locusts’ home turf and intensifying sporadic rains there. That is exposing new parts of the region to potential infestations, according to the study, which was published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances.

Persons: ” Organizations: National University of Singapore Locations: Africa, East, South Asia

☆ Falling Domestic Fares and an A.I. Arms Race: What Travelers Can Expect in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Christine Chung | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +21 min

Arms Race: What Travelers Can Expect in 2024 At the start of what promises to be a very busy year, we look ahead at what you’re likely to encounter. With 2023 in the rearview mirror, we look ahead at what travelers will face in 2024. At United Airlines, for example, smarter software can offer rebooking options and issue food and lodging vouchers when a flight is canceled, rather than just rebooking a flight. United Airlines has suspended its flights indefinitely, said Josh Freed, a United spokesman. This year, travelers are expected to choose faraway places and board small ships, according to Virtuoso, the consortium of luxury travel agencies.

Persons: Chanelle, Hayley Berg, ” Ms, Berg, “, Robert W, Mann Jr, ”, Chad Burt, Oren Etzioni, Gilbert Ott, Hopper, Greg Forbes, Delta’s, Neville Pattinson, Mr, Pattinson, biometrics, Laura Lindsay, Joshua Smith, Smith, Laurel Brunvoll, Michael Zeiler, Airbnb, We’ve, Jamie Lane, ‘, ’ ”, Jan Freitag, “ We’ve, David Whiteside, Brian Kelly, Guy, Leigh Rowan, “ There’s, Kelly, Rowan, ” Mr, James Thornton, Sharm el Sheikh, Khaled Ibrahim, Harry Rubenstein, Rubenstein, Eyal Carlin, Josh Freed, Jack Ezon, Tom Marchant, Beth McGroarty Organizations: World Tourism Organization, International Air Transport Association, Analysts, Express Global, ”, airfare, University of Washington, United Airlines, Transportation, Administration, Salt Lake, International Airport, Denver International Airport, Delta Air Lines, U.S . Customs, Border Protection, La Guardia Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, biometrics, Thales, Air, American Airlines, Global, “, —, MidX Studios, LivSmart Studios, Hilton, Hyatt Studios, Accor Hotels, Boston University, Visa, Mastercard, Walmart, Target, Savanti, Chase, Intrepid Travel, Amisol Travel, East Travel Alliance, United, Consumers, Ki’ama, Wellness, Global Wellness Institute Locations: United States, Point.me, Salt, North America, London, Rome, Tokyo, Cancún, Las Vegas, Cayman Islands, Polynesia, Europe, Norway, Denmark, Air Canada, Bergen, Flam, Scandinavia, Italy, France, Malta, Slovenia, Maryland, Spain, Portugal, Britain, Egypt, India, Mexico ; Cape Girardeau, Mo, Niagara Falls, N.Y . Texas, Burnet, Sulphur Springs, New York, Vienna, Marriott, Israel, Jordan, Oman, Oman —, Tunisia, Northern Africa, Sharm, Cairo, Amisol Travel Egypt, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Ramle, Kimberley, Western Australia, Mitre, Patagonia, Ki’ama Bahamas, Bahamas, South Africa, Hudson, Tuxedo Park, N.Y, Malibu , Calif, Mexico

☆ Italy's Parliament Approves Crackdown on Teenage Migrants
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

ROME (Reuters) - Italian lawmakers on Thursday approved a government decree that allows migrants aged 16 or 17 to be held in adult reception centres and gives police stronger powers to check that migrants are not falsely claiming to be under age. Under Italian and European legislation, unaccompanied young migrants are entitled to more favourable treatment. For example, they cannot be expelled and should have access to more extensive welfare and support services. It allows minors aged 16 or 17 to be held in adult migrant reception camps when places for underage migrants are not available, and says they can be held there for up to 150 days. Earlier this month, Meloni announced Italy would build migrant identification and reception centres in Albania, saying she hoped they could host as many as 36,000 sea migrants per year.

Persons: Giorgia, Meloni, Angelo Amante, Gareth Jones Organizations: Senate, Unicef Locations: ROME, Italy, Albania, Africa

☆ Climate change: The world briefly smashed through the 2-degree warming limit for the first time ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Angela Dewan | Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Provisional ERA5 global temperature for 17th November from @CopernicusECMWF was 1.17°C above 1991-2020 - the warmest on record. Our best estimate is that this was the first day when global temperature was more than 2°C above 1850-1900 (or pre-industrial) levels, at 2.06°C. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world needs to decrease emissions by 45% by the end of this decade compared to 2010 to have any hope of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Another UN report also found that the world is planning to blow the fossil fuels production limit that would keep a lid on global heating. By 2030, countries plan to produce more than twice the limit of fossil fuels that would cap warming at 1.5 degrees.

Persons: Samantha Burgess, Sam Burgess 🌍🌡, Du, ks to Organizations: CNN, Provisional Locations: Europe, @CopernicusECMWF

LONDON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Shell (SHEL.L) is suing Greenpeace for $2.1 million in damages after the environmental group's activists boarded the company's oil production vessel in transit at sea this year, according to Greenpeace and a document seen by Reuters. Greenpeace activists boarded the vessel in January near the Canary Islands off the Atlantic coast of northern Africa to protest oil drilling and travelled on it as far as Norway. Boarding a moving vessel at sea was "unlawful and extremely dangerous," a Shell spokesperson said. Four Greenpeace activists used ropes to hoist themselves onto the vessel from inflatable boats that chased the ship at high speed. Protests at sea against oil, gas or mining infrastructure have long been part of Greenpeace's operations.

Persons: Shell, Fluor, Shadia Nasralla, Rod Nickel Organizations: Greenpeace, Reuters, Court, Shell, Penguins, Thomson Locations: London's, Africa, Norway, North, Dutch

☆ Lonely Planet’s top places to go in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Maureen Ohare | Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Get your wishlist fired up, Lonely Planet just revealed its 50 top travel destinations for the year ahead. The travel publishing empire turns 50 this year, and its bumper Best in Travel 2024 list is expanded across five categories: top countries, regions, cities, sustainable travel destinations and best-value locations. The “wild beauty” of South Africa also gets a nod, with Lonely Planet recommending visitors check out the country’s “impressive crop of ecolodges” committed to protecting Earth’s biodiversity. The underrated American Midwest is the top tip here: in cities such as Chicago, Milwaukee and Detroit, “you’ll find old warehouses transformed into art studios, new eco design hotels and many Michelin-starred restaurants,” says Lonely Planet. Says Lonely Planet, “Here you’ll find the highest sea cliffs in Europe and miles of unspoilt coastal hiking trails.”Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2024India: A big country with a whole lot to love, including Gadisar lake in Rajasthan.

Persons: CNN —, Lucia, Torres del, ecolodges ”, Babanango, “, ”, you’ll, Ilan Shacham, Ireland País Vasco, Português, daniel Organizations: CNN, Lonely, Lonely Planet, Kenyan, Michelin, Getty, Mongolia India Morocco Chile Benin Mexico Uzbekistan Pakistan Croatia St, Regions, CNN Cities Nairobia, Chile Greenland, Lithuania Eco, France Egypt Ikaria, Greece Algeria Southern Lakes, Central Otago , New Zealand Locations: Mongolia, Mexico, Croatia, St, Benin, Uzbekistan, City, Nairobi, Paris, Prague, Czech, “, Patagonia, Torres del Paine, Spain, Valencia, Barcelona, South Africa, South, KwaZulu Natal, Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Algeria, Northern Africa, Europe, Balkans, Slovenia, Bosnia, Hercegovina, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Adriatic, Donegal, Ireland’s, India, Rajasthan, Mongolia India Morocco Chile Benin Mexico Uzbekistan Pakistan Croatia, Lucia Macedonia, South Australia Donegal, Ireland, Spain Southern Thailand Swahili, Tanzania Montana, USA, Austria, Kenya Paris, France Montreal, Canada Mostar, Herzegovina Philadelphia , Pennsylvania Manaus, Brazil Jakarta, Indonesia Prague, Czech Republic Izmir, Turkey Kansas City , Missouri, Spain Patagonia, Argentina, Chile, Chile Greenland Wales, Santiago Palau Hokkaido, Japan Ecuador Baltic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, South Africa Poland, USA Poland Nicaragua Danube Limes, Bulgaria Normandy, France Egypt, Greece Algeria Southern, Central Otago , New

☆ The World Is Becoming More African
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Declan Walsh | Hannah Reyes Morales | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +37 min

Old World Young Africa As the world grays, Africa blooms with youth. The World Is Becoming More African Part one of a series on how the youth boom is changing the continent, and beyond. But while a handful of African countries are poised to ride the demographic wave, others risk being swamped by it. In the West, racists and right-wing nationalists stoke fears of African population growth to justify hatred, or even violence. The age gap between geriatric leaders and restless youth is “a major source of tension” in many African countries, said Simon Mulongo, a former African Union diplomat from Uganda.

Persons: Lauren Leatherby, ”, Jean, Patrick Niambé, Hilton, Edward Paice, “, Keziah Keya, Keya, Paul R, Ehrlich, stoke, Lauren Leatherby “, Carlos Lopes, Burna, Weeks, “ It’s, Laolu Senbanjo, Tems, Toulaye Sy, Pritzker, Abdulrazak Gurnah, “ Africa’s, ” Long, exotica, Mulendema, Hannah O’Leary, “ We’re, Sipho Dlamini, Dlamini, Moawad, Optimists, Mo Ibrahim, Aubrey Hruby, birthrates, India’s, China’s, Akinwumi Adesina, States —, William Ruto, Paul Biya of, Biya, Wole Soyinka, Paul Kagame of, Nourdine, Nigeriens, Awade, Ali Bongo Ondimba, Simon Mulongo, Nuha Abdelgadir, Abdelgadir, gesturing, “ We’ve, ” Weeks, Abdelgadir’s, Modu Ali, Young, Saidu, Habiba Mohammed, Ms, Ha, Joon Chang, Nobody, Chang, Ibrahim, Touré Organizations: Young, United Nations, Southern, Northern, Western Asia Northern, United, Ivory Coast, African Union, Group, European Union ., Suisse, Africa Research Institute, Nigeria Mozambique Kenya “, Russia Canada Germany United, Russia Canada Germany United States Japan China Iran Egypt India Mexico Nigeria Ethiopia Ethiopia Dem, Russia Germany, China Egypt India Nigeria D.R.C, Russia Canada Germany United States Japan China Iran Egypt India Mexico Nigeria Ethiopia Dem, Bank, Nations, International, Bryn Mawr College, Angola, Angola Ivory Coast, Angola Ivory Coast Cameroon Dem, Africa Middle Africa Southern, Economic Commission, New, Citi, Spotify, Cannes Film, Burkina Faso, UNESCO, Disney, Amazon Prime, Netflix, “, Apple, Cape Town, Microsoft, Google, Infrastructure, McKinsey & Company, Pew Research Center, African Development Bank, Greek Coast Guard, Saudi, Africa Climate, Young Voters, Freedom House, University of Denver, United Arab, Japan Cuba Vatican City, Netherlands South Korea Belgium U.A.E, Islamic, Global, Center for Girls Education, School of Oriental, Studies Locations: grays, Africa, India, China, United States, Southern Asia, Asia, America, Caribbean, Northern America, Western Asia, Western Asia Northern America, Europe, London, New York, West Africa, Ivory, Abidjan, Russia, Turkey, Gulf, Nairobi, Nigeria Mozambique Kenya, Italy, Japan, Russia Canada Germany United States Japan China Iran Egypt India Mexico Nigeria Ethiopia Ethiopia, Congo Indonesia Brazil Australia South Africa Argentina, Russia Germany U.S, China Egypt India Nigeria, Brazil South Africa Australia, Russia Canada Germany United States Japan China Iran Egypt India Mexico Nigeria, Nigeria, Africa’s, Young, South Africa, Somalia, Mozambique, Mali, Gabon, Niger, Mozambique Nigeria Kenya, Kenya, Pennsylvania, Angola Ivory, Angola Ivory Coast Cameroon, Congo Algeria Egypt, Ghana Kenya Madagascar Mozambique Niger Nigeria, Tanzania Uganda South Africa, Northern Africa Eastern Africa, Africa Middle Africa, Africa Middle Africa Southern Africa, Guinea, Bissau, African, Qatar, Nigerian, Brooklyn, Target, French, Senegalese, Paris, Milan, Venice, Burkina, Tanzania, Saharan Africa, Nigeria Kenya Senegal In Lagos, Dakar, Zambia, South Korea, Sotheby’s, Lagos, Zimbabwe, Watford, Cape, Mombasa, Zanzibar, Cairo, Morocco, East Africa, Nigeria Mozambique Morocco, Sudanese, North Africa, East Asia, Thailand, Rwanda, Ivory Coast, States, Namibia, Kenyan, Paul Biya of Cameroon, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, United Arab Emirates, United States France Turkey, Germany, Russia India, Brazil, Japan Cuba, Japan Cuba Vatican City Spain Italy Saudi Arabia Qatar, Netherlands South Korea Belgium, Iran Canada, Niger’s, Niamey, Senegal Kenya Kenya, X’s, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Senegal, Uganda, Khartoum, Sudan, Ethiopia, Al Qaeda, Islamic State, Chad, Burkina Faso, Nigeria Nigeria Morocco, hijabs, Zaria, American, Korea, South, England

Political Cartoons View All 1211 ImagesThe first woman to be Italy's premier, Meloni "won out against Salvini and Berlusconi. Fears for Italy's democracy have proved to be “exaggerated,’’ said Franco, who noted that Italy's president serves as a guarantor of the republic's post-war constitution. Meloni contends the rulings support a long-held belief on the political right that Italy’s magistrates sympathize with the left. Since becoming premier, Meloni has topped surveys of eligible voters, hovering near 30% — compared to the 26% of votes her party garnered in the 2022 election. Currently, Italy's president asks someone likely able to command a parliamentary majority the task of forming a government.

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, —, Matteo Salvini, Silvio Berlusconi, Vladimir Putin, Meloni, Salvini, Berlusconi, Massimo Franco, ”, Tommaso Grossi, Ursula von der Leyen —, Joe Biden, ’ ’, Franco, it’s, ” Meloni, Von der Leyen, ″, Roberto Calderoli, Antonio Tajani, Tajani, Meloni’s, “, ″ Grossi, nostalgists, Benito Mussolini, Di Segni, Mussolini, Raf Casert Organizations: ROME, Union, European Commission, EU, Kyiv, Russia’s, Forza Italia, European Policy, White, Italian Rai, European Union, “, Union of Italian, Nazi, Associated Locations: Italy’s, Europe, Italy, Brussels, Rome, Hungary, Poland, Meloni, Ukraine, Lampedusa, Libyan, Tunisia, Italian, Israel, Nazi

☆ Italy's PM says migration won't solve Europe's demographic crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sept 14 (Reuters) - Some legal migration can benefit European economies, but migration is not the solution to the continent's demographic crisis, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Thursday as she met right-wing ally Viktor Orban in Budapest. Meloni was addressing a summit meeting on demography hosted by the Hungarian prime minister, a long-time political friend. Carlo Calenda, a centrist Italian opposition politician, called the reference to God "truly singular for the head of government of a liberal democracy. Meloni faces a mounting migration crisis at home, where the tiny, far-southern Italian island of Lampedusa has seen thousands of people coming ashore from Northern Africa over the last few days. Reporting by Federico Maccioni and Angelo Amante; editing by Alvise Armellini, Mark Heinrich and Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, Viktor Orban, Meloni, Carlo Calenda, X, Orban, Federico Maccioni, Angelo Amante, Alvise Armellini, Mark Heinrich, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Italian, European Union, Thomson Locations: Budapest, Hungarian, Italian, Italy, Hungary, Europe, Brussels, Lampedusa, Northern Africa

Residents fleeing their homes in Moulay Brahim, a village near the epicenter of the quake, outside Marrakesh, Morocco, on Saturday. “The current tectonic stresses are therefore only part of the story,” Dr. Hubbard said. Historical earthquakes offer few answers to that question, according to Dr. Hubbard. Another challenging detail to study is an earthquake’s depth, Dr. Hubbard said. The shaking from a deeper earthquakes may not be as strong, but it can be felt across a wider swath of the surface, Dr. Hubbard said.

Persons: Judith Hubbard, ” Dr, Hubbard, ”, Jascha Polet Organizations: Saturday, Earthquakes, San, Cornell University, Geological, Seismological, California State Polytechnic University Locations: Moulay Brahim, Marrakesh, Morocco, Africa, Africa’s, Pacific

CNN —Over 12,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in Tenerife after wildfires tore through the Spanish Canary Island. Police data showed the the number of evacuations surged from the 4,500 reported on Friday. While worsening weather conditions that would “complicate firefighting operations” had initially been expected overnight Sunday, the night had been “quiet, with more favorable weather conditions than expected,” local government said. Improved conditions had seen a return of a “certain normality” in firefighting operations, Tenerife firefighters said on X , formerly known as Twitter. Tenerife firefighters called the emergency operations their “largest deployment in history.” They are being assisted by mainland emergency services and the Spanish military.

Persons: ”, Arturo Rodriguez, Fernando Clavijo, Météo Organizations: CNN, Police, Twitter, Europa Press, CNN’s Locations: Tenerife, Island, La Laguna, La Orotava, Northern Africa, Hawaii, Canada, Europe, France, Météo France

CNN —More than 3,000 people have been evacuated since Wednesday as wildfires continue to tear through the Spanish Canary Island of Tenerife, a popular tourist destination, the region’s authorities said Thursday in a statement. Forest firefighters work during to extinguish a forest fire in Arafo on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain August 16, 2023. Andres Gutierrez/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesExtreme heat is growing again in Europe and is expected to peak next week at potentially record-breaking levels. In France, authorities have issued orange heatwave warnings for 19 departments for Friday as temperatures are expected to soar above 35 degrees Celsius. Temperatures will approach 45 degrees Celsius in the typical southern hot spots, areas around Madrid will likely reach 40 degrees Celsius.

Persons: Fernando Clavijo, ”, haven’t, ” Clavijo, Borja Suarez, Andres Gutierrez Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Anadolu Agency, Getty, France’s, CNN’s Locations: Tenerife, Northern Africa, Hawaii, Canada, Europe, Arafo, Canary Islands, Spain, France, Madrid

☆ Passengers flying from Italy to the UK took a detour to northern Africa because the airline had to deliver a part for another plane
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A TUI plane was meant to fly from the south of Italy to the United Kingdom. But an unscheduled diversion meant it took a detour and stopped off in northern Africa. Passengers had to wait on the runway in Tunisia while the airline delivered a part for another plane. TUI passengers on board a flight from Italy to the UK found themselves unexpectedly diverted to northern Africa, where they remained on a runway for an hour while the airline delivered a plane part. Last December, TUI passengers were left stranded in the wrong country overnight, after their plane made an unscheduled stop due to staff scheduling issues.

Persons: TUI Organizations: Passengers, London Gatwick Airport, Boeing, Google, Independent, Gatwick Airport Locations: Italy, United Kingdom, Africa, Tunisia, Lamezia Terme, Terme, London, Enfidha, Hammamet

☆ What happened to the Chinese travel boom everyone was waiting for? It stayed in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Lisa Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"However, another reason is that domestic tourism has won in prestige and also in quality," Arlt told CNBC Travel. Now, Chinese travelers may be looking to venture beyond the region. "This creates business need for increased flights but has also seen increased Chinese media coverage and general interest in the region which will have knock-on effects for more general travel interest." 3 on a list of expenditures where Chinese travelers said they would increase spending this year — after dining out, and fitness and wellness. Source: Morning ConsultThis mirrors Skift's report, which shows 50% of Chinese travelers say they plan to travel internationally in the next 12 months.

Persons: Wolfgang Georg Arlt, Skift, Arlt, Scott Moskowitz, Moskowitz, Zs Organizations: Tourism Research Institute, Domestic, CNBC Travel, Reuters, Morning Locations: China, Asia, Pacific, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Europe, Central America, Antarctica, East, Northern Africa, Egypt, United States, North Africa, North America, Canada, Ukraine

☆ A Battle With Fire on 2 Continents, in Photos
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The crackling flames have left charred forests, drawing in thousands of firefighters to stop their hungry march. The hundreds of wildfires that raged in recent days across southern Europe and northern Africa forced the evacuations of thousands of people. In Greece, blazes have ravaged the forest areas of the mainland and islands, including Corfu, Evia and Rhodes. On Tuesday, two pilots working to douse the flames on the island of Evia were killed in a plane crash, the country’s prime minister said. In Algeria, more than 30 people have died, including 10 soldiers in the northern city of Bejaia on the Mediterranean, officials said.

Persons: Rhodes Locations: Europe, Africa, Greece, Corfu, Evia, Algeria, Bejaia

☆ A team at Chicago's Field Museum assembled a giant dinosaur, larger than T. rex 'Sue', in under 10 hours. Here's how they did it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Kelly Burch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Field Museum's new Spinosaurus exhibit is longer than its famed T. rex named Sue. The Field Museum"It was well-adapted to eat fish, and would have spent much of its time in and around rivers," said Ben Miller, exhibitions developer at the Field Museum. "For that reason, we decided to display Spinosaurus in a swimming pose, suspended 12 feet above the floor." But that's because this dinosaur exhibit has a few key secrets that made it all possible. That specimen was about 50% complete, Miller said, and is what the Field Museum cast is based on.

Persons: Sue, —, It's, Ben Miller, Miller, Tom Skwerski, Elise Schimke, Musuem Matteo Fabbri, Field Museum who's, Skwerski, Spinosaurus, Chicago Flyhouse, Ernst Freiherr Stromer von Reichenbach Organizations: Service, Field, Field Museum, Sue, Hassan II University, Museum, Chicago, Stanley Field Hall Locations: Asia, Chicago, Northern Africa, Casablanca, Morocco, Italian, Egypt, Munich

☆ How to Lower Deaths Among Women? Give Away Cash.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Apoorva Mandavilli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

The pandemic drove 97 million additional people into extreme poverty in 2020, according to a World Bank estimate, prompting more countries to start cash transfer programs. Direct cash transfers have been shown to improve school attendance, nutrition and use of health services. The new study is the first to examine the effect of cash transfers on death rates worldwide, the researchers said. The findings suggest that cash transfers may be helpful not just to women, but to families and entire communities. Cash transfers are often accompanied by improvements to health care services or other infrastructure that helps communities, he noted.

Persons: ”, Harsha Thirumurthy, Thirumurthy, Audrey Pettifor, Pettifor, ” Berk Organizations: University of Pennsylvania, University of North, Chapel Hill Locations: Saharan Africa, Africa, Asia, Pacific, America, Caribbean, U.S, University of North Carolina, South Africa

☆ Rome Fiumicino seen as Lufthansa's new southern hub after ITA deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Angelo Amante | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Shares in Lufthansa were down 0.2% on Friday, a day after the airline and the Italian Treasury announced the ITA deal. A report from TRA consulting firm says some 43 million people travelled through Rome Fiumicino in 2019, before the COVID-19 outbreak, and the airport has potential to become an even stronger hub for the Mediterranean area. His report said this is due to the weakness of the national airline, and the integration of ITA into the Lufthansa group might help Fiumicino become an hub for travellers heading to the Americas. Lufthansa, which already operates the brands Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines, said it would look to feed more passengers into Fiumicino airport. Analysts believe Lufthansa has good chances to boost Fiumicino, after fostering development of other airports it entered after its previous takeovers.

☆ DHS task force will examine how to use A.I. to protect homeland security
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, speaks during a new conference in Brownsville, Texas, U.S., on Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security will establish a new task force to examine how the government can use artificial intelligence technology to protect the country. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced the task force Friday during a speech at a Council on Foreign Relations event. Mayorkas gave two examples of how the task force will help determine how AI could be used to fine-tune the agency's work. Mayorkas asked Homeland Security Advisory Council Co-Chair Jamie Gorelick to study "the intersection of AI and homeland security and deliver findings that will help guide our use of it and defense against it."

☆ British supermarkets are rationing fruit and vegetables as shortages bite
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON — Britain's biggest supermarkets are limiting purchases of certain fruit and vegetables as supply shortages lead to empty shelves. It said the move was due to poor weather conditions overseas and was working with suppliers to "get things back to normal." The U.K. government has not stated Brexit as a factor, blaming weather conditions. EU member Ireland is also experiencing fruit and vegetable shortages. U.K. Food Minister Mark Spencer said Monday he had spoken to retailers about how they are responding to shortages and asked them to build preparedness for future incidents.

☆ Nineteen athletes wounded after blasts at race in Cameroon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Amindeh Blaise Atabong | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

YAOUNDE, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Nineteen athletes were being treated for blast injuries on Saturday after multiple small explosions during a running race in part of western Cameroon where English-speaking separatists are fighting government forces, a local doctor said. There was no immediate comment from authorities in the town of Buea in South-West Region, where 529 athletes were running up the highest mountain in West and Central Africa as they competed in the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope. "Our primary target was the Cameroon elite forces ... that were providing security for the athletes. Another video showed a different explosion going off near a pack of runners elsewhere on the route. Participants in the race included athletes from East, Central and Northern Africa and France.

☆ Italy approves clampdown on migrant rescue ships
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Angelo Amante | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The new set of rules is part of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's efforts to crack down on the rescue vessels, which her government says encourage people to make the perilous trip across the Mediterranean from northern Africa. Charities deny this, saying migrants set to sea regardless of whether rescue boats are in the vicinity. Under the new law, ships have to request access to a port and sail to it "without delay" after a rescue, rather than remain at sea looking for other migrant boats in distress, and disclose detailed information about their rescue activities. The Roman Catholic Church in Italy last month said the new measures violated international law and should be scrapped. Government data shows 12,667 people have reached Italy so far this year, more than double the same period of 2022.

☆ Britain facing tomatoes shortage after overseas harvests disrupted
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Britons are facing a shortage of tomatoes after supermarket supplies, including at market leader Tesco (TSCO.L) and No. 2 Sainsbury's (SBRY.L), were impacted by disrupted harvests in southern Europe and North Africa. "However, supermarkets are adept at managing supply chain issues and are working with farmers to ensure that customers are able to access a wide range of fresh produce," he said. Last year Britain's grocers suffered supply chain disruptions due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine but availability was much improved in the run-up to Christmas, with an exception being eggs. In winter, Britain has typically imported around 90% of crops like cucumbers and tomatoes, but has been nearly self-sufficient in the summer.

Search resuls for: "Northern Africa"

25 mentions found