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☆ Greece Promises Extra Aid for Grieving Farmers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told parliament that the measure would cost the state 82 million euros ($89.31 million) in 2024 and announced more steps to appease the protesters. Farmers have been setting up blockades in central and northern Greece, echoing grievances from farmers across Europe, who have staged hundreds of tractors blockades in France and Brussels where EU leaders met on Thursday. A group of them lined up their tractors in the northern city of Thessaloniki on Thursday, surrounding the Agrotica trade fair venue. PPC, Greece's biggest power utility, will also offer an extra 10% rebate on electricity for farmers from May to September, Mitsotakis, who met protesting farmers in central Greece this week, said. Mitsotakis said that the state will spend in total 3.3 billion euros over the coming years to repair damage in Thessaly.

Persons: Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Mitsotakis, Lefteris Papadimas, Angeliki Koutantou, Renee Maltezou, William Maclean Organizations: Farmers, EU Locations: ATHENS, Greece, Europe, France, Brussels, Thessaloniki, Thessaly

Climate Change Conference (COP 28) that opens on Nov. 30 in Dubai. Neither floods nor fires are new to Greece but with climate change, they are becoming a frequent disruptor to an economy dependent on tourism and farming. "We have to change our prediction methods," Skylakakis said, acknowledging the rapid pace of climate change. Mitsotakis has urged the EU to top up its solidarity fund and help countries tackle the impact of climate change. Adaptation measures worth 67 billion euros could reduce that loss to 510 billion euros, the country's leading economic think tank IOBE said in a February report.

Persons: Louisa Gouliamaki, Dimitris Kouretas, Kouretas, Theodore Skylakakis, Storm Daniel, Kostas Agorastos, Giorgos Stasinos, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Sokratis Famellos, Skylakakis, Thanos Giannakakis, Nikos Papathanasis, Miltiadis Gkouzouris, Mitsotakis, Petros Varelidis, Lefteris Papadimas, Renee Maltezou, Michele Kambas, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Reuters, United Nations Environment Program, Mount Olympus, HVA, Chamber, European, Justice, EU, Water Management, Environment Ministry, Thomson Locations: Vlohos, Greece, Greece's, Thessaly, Europe, Dubai, Los Angeles, Dutch, Athens, Thessaly's, Mouzaki, Netherlands

☆ Greece starts process to sell 20% stake in National Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

People walk outside the National Bank of Greece headquarters in Athens, Greece, January 17, 2022. REUTERS/Louiza Vradi/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsATHENS, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Greece on Monday announced plans to sell a 20% stake in National Bank of Greece (NBG) after concluding the sale of a 9% stake in Alpha Bank to UniCredit as it looks to divest from the country's lenders. It currently holds a 40.4% stake in NBG and a 27% stake in Piraeus Bank (BOPr.AT), Greece's third largest lender. NBG's shares were down about 1% at 5.39 euros at 1012 GMT on Monday, with the 20% stake valued at about one billion euros ($1.07 billion). Earlier on Monday, HFSF said it sold its 9% stake in Alpha Bank (ACBr.AT) to UniCredit for 293.5 million euros after an improved bid from the Italian bank.

Persons: Louiza, HFSF, Lefteris Papadimas, Jason Neely Organizations: National Bank of, REUTERS, Rights, Monday, National Bank of Greece, Alpha Bank, Hellenic, Stability, Piraeus Bank, Reuters, Global, Thomson Locations: National Bank of Greece, Athens, Greece, UniCredit, NBG

☆ Greece to tap into undocumented migrants to curb labour squeeze
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A migrant stands in the Mavrovouni camp on the island of Lesbos, Greece, November 25, 2021. The new proposal would look at allowing the 300,000 migrants estimated already to be living illegally in Greece to work in some sectors, Migration Minister Dimitris Kairidis told state broadcaster ERT. "We need to see what to do with the population that is already in our country, without creating further magnets for others to come illegally," Kairidis said. Kairidis is expected to formally outline the initiative at a cabinet meeting next month, a migration ministry official told Reuters. Agriculture Minister Lefteris Avgenakis said he was in talks with the migration ministry to tackle this problem.

Persons: Louiza, Dimitris Kairidis, Kairidis, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Lefteris Avgenakis, Avgenakis, Karolina Tagaris, Angeliki, Peter Graff 私 Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Migration, ERT, Reuters, Agriculture Locations: Lesbos, Greece, East, Asia, Eastern Europe, Albania, Bangladesh, India, Egypt

☆ Greek prosecutor orders investigation into deadly floods
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An aerial view of cars stuck on a bridge surrounded by flood waters, as storm Daniel hits central Greece, in the village of Flamouli, near Trikala, Greece, September 7, 2023. The investigation will also look into whether flood prevention measures taken by local authorities were adequate in the light of clear advance warnings by Greece's national meteorological service. Nearly a week after Daniel, many villages across some 72,000 hectares were still swamped with muddy water in the Thessaly plain. The EU Commission said on Tuesday that Greece could tap up to 2.25 billion euros in European funds to tackle the impact of the storm. ($1 = 0.9316 euros)Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Daniel, Stergios, Greece's, Christos Staikouras, Staikouras, Angeliki Koutantou, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Athens News Agency, EU, Fund, Thomson Locations: Greece, Flamouli, Trikala, Athens, Thessaly, Volos, Karditsa, Larissa, Thessaloniki

Homes were carried away by torrents, vital infrastructure was destroyed and crops in the country's second-largest tract of farmland wiped out. "I don't think we have realised the magnitude of this disaster yet," Professor Efthymios Lekkas, a disaster management expert, told state broadcaster ERT on Friday. "We have been on the mountain," Dimitris, one of the stranded villagers, told Skai television. One of the breadbaskets of Greece, Thessaly represents about 15 percent of the country's annual agricultural output. ($1 = 0.9328 euros)Additional reporting by Michele Kambas; Writing By Michele Kambas; editing by John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Louisa Gouliamaki, Efthymios Lekkas, George Tsatrafyllias, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Kostas Agorastos, Dimitris, Lekkas, Michele Kambas, John Stonestreet Organizations: REUTERS, Greece Storm ebbs, ERT, Thomson Locations: Larissa, Greece, Thessaly, London, Thessaloniki, Vlochos, Karditsa

The mainland port city of Volos, the surrounding mountainous Pelion area and the cities of Karditsa and Trikala were among the worst-hit areas. Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias said during a press briefing on Thursday that six people had been reported missing in the area of Karditsa. A senior fire brigade official told Reuters that the body of a man was found in the town of Domokos. [1/5]Locals are evacuated on a boat by volunteers, as storm Daniel hits central Greece, in Farkadona, Greece, September 7. Flash floods in Greece in 2017 killed 25 people and left hundreds homeless.

Persons: Daniel, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Pavlos Marinakis, Marinakis, Vassilis Kikilias, Kostas Mantziaris, Palamas, Giorgos Sakellariou, Vasilios Vathrakogiannis, Lefteris Papadimas, Angeliki Koutantou, Renee Maltezou, Alex Richardson Organizations: Civil, Reuters, REUTERS, coastguard, Thomson Locations: Greece, Volos, Karditsa, Trikala, Thessaly, Domokos, Farkadona, Palamas, Agia Triada, Skiathos

☆ Man Drowns After Trying to Board Departing Ferry in Greece's Piraeus Port
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

ATHENS (Reuters) - A 36-year-old man who tried to board a passenger ship as it sailed from Greece's Piraeus port on Tuesday drowned after being pushed back by crew members off the vessel's stern ramp, the country's shipping minister said on Wednesday. The incident has shocked the country. Video footage released on social media showed crew members arguing with the man on the stern ramp just as the ferry was leaving Piraeus for the island of Crete. Varvitsiotis said on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that "there is no doubt that the crime was homicide". He added that four people have been detained over the incident, which is being investigated by a prosecutor.

Persons: Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, Varvitsiotis, Renee Maltezou, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Crete . Shipping, Attica Group Locations: ATHENS, Greece's Piraeus, Piraeus, Crete

REUTERS/Kostas Mantziaris Acquire Licensing RightsATHENS, Sept 6 (Reuters) - At least two people died and three were missing on Wednesday after torrential rain flooded homes and businesses and destroyed infrastructure in central Greece, the fire brigade said. A Reuters witness said that the river near the nursing home had swallowed the road and flooded a train station in Volos, disrupting train traffic. Greece has said the weather was the most extreme in terms of the amount of rainfall since records have been kept in the country. Police on Wednesday issued traffic warnings for the cities of Trikala and Karditsa as the rainstorm was expected to intensify again later on Wednesday. In northwest Turkey, at least five people were killed after heavy rains triggered flash floods, Turkish state broadcaster TRT Haber said on Wednesday.

Persons: Daniel, Kostas Mantziaris, Storm Daniel, Haber, Lefteris Papadimas, Angeliki Koutantou, William Maclean Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Police, Thomson Locations: Nea Lefki, Larissa, Greece, Volos, Trikala, Karditsa, Turkey

☆ Goat breeder says he's finished after deadly Evros wildfire kills livestock
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Alexandros Avramidis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"We're finished, we're finished," said Raptis, 56, as he walked past his pen, most of its tin roofing knocked down by the fire. The charred body of a goat lay on the scorched ground of what was left of the enclosure. One of the 19 animals who survived bleated as Raptis grabbed its face to reveal the burns on its ear. Last year, when another fire in Evros burnt half of the stable, Raptis managed to save all his livestock. But the latest blaze, which came very close to the stable a few days ago, burnt it to the ground on Saturday.

Persons: Farmer Kleanthis Raptis, Alexandros Avramidis, Kleanthis Raptis, We're, we're, Raptis, Ioannis Artopoios, Angeliki Koutantou, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Aircraft, Thomson Locations: Evros, Greece, Provatonas

☆ Greece rescues 25 migrants from deadly Evros wildfire
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Alexandros Avramidis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis Acquire Licensing RightsEVROS, Greece,/ATHENS Sept 1 (Reuters) - Greece on Friday rescued a group of 25 migrants trapped in a wildfire which has been burning in the northeastern region of Evros for almost two weeks, authorities said. The wildfire in Evros, Europe's deadliest this summer, burned for a 14th day after killing at least 20 people, destroying homes and livelihoods and scorching lush forests. Evros is a popular crossing into the European Union for thousands of migrants and refugees every year. Aircraft and hundreds of firefighters battled the blaze in the Dadia Forest amid fast-changing winds on Friday. Switzerland said on Friday it will dispatch three army helicopters and personnel to help firefighting in Evros.

Persons: Alexandros Avramidis, Ioannis Artopoios, Copernicus, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Lefteris Papadimas, Angeliki Koutantou, Andy Sullivan Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, Aircraft, Reuters, Copernicus Emergency Management Service, New York City's, Wildlife Fund, Thomson Locations: Evros, Greece, ATHENS, Turkey, Dadia, Giannouli, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, New York, Soufli, Switzerland

☆ Greece to launch drones, temperature sensors to better fight wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Cows stand in front of a burned hill as a wildfire burns at Dadia National Park in the region of Evros, Greece, August 29, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis Acquire Licensing RightsATHENS, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Greece's prime minister said on Thursday it would launch drones and install forest temperature sensors to improve preventive firefighting after criticism from climate activists over a devastating wildfire burning for almost two weeks. He said authorities had initiated steps to acquire more than 100 drones to monitor wildfires in real time. Mitsotakis said tens of millions of euros were spent in wildfire prevention this year but that was still not enough. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said at least 30% of Greece's protected Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli Forest had been lost.

Persons: Alexandros Avramidis, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Mitsotakis, it's, Angeliki, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Greece's, Emergency Management Service, New York City's, Wildlife Fund, Thomson Locations: Evros, Greece, New York, Soufli

☆ Greek soccer fan dies as soccer fans clash in Athens
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ATHENS, Aug 8 (Reuters) - A 22-year-old fan died on Tuesday after being seriously injured in violence among fans of AEK Athens and Dinamo Zagreb soccer clubs in Athens, semi-state Athens News Agency reported on Tuesday. The man was stabbed several times in clashes among fans of both clubs outside AEK's football pitch in Nea Philadelphia late on Monday, a police official said. Police said 100 to 120 Dinamo Zagreb fans showed up late on Monday near the AEK stadium, and where AEK fans had gathered. A UEFA Champions League qualifying-round match between AEK and visiting Dinamo Zagreb is scheduled to take place at AEK's stadium on Tuesday. Greek soccer has been plagued by violence on and off the pitch and authorities have repeatedly promised to clean up the game.

Persons: Angeliki Koutantou, Gerry Doyle Organizations: AEK Athens, Dinamo Zagreb, Athens News Agency, Police, AEK, UEFA Champions League, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Athens, Nea Philadelphia, AEK's

☆ Greek wildfires die down after burning for nearly two weeks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Alexandros AvramidisATHENS, July 28 (Reuters) - Wildfires in Greece abated on Friday after burning for nearly two weeks but emergency services worked to prevent new flare-ups in the central part of the country, where people had fled massive explosions at an ammunition depot the day before. In the hard-hit area of Magnesia, wildfires reached an air force ammunition depot close to the coastal town of Nea Aghialos on Thursday. Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias said on Friday he had ordered an investigation into the incident. The labour ministry urged employers in an industrial zone of Volos to suspend operations for a second day on Friday. But teams operated at several sites for an 11th day in an effort to fully tame all the fronts.

Persons: Alexandros Avramidis ATHENS, Dina Angeli, Nikos Dendias, Firefighters, Ioannis Artopoios, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Angeliki Koutantou, Alexandros Avramidis, Stamos Prousalis, Angeliki, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: REUTERS, Fighter, Reuters, Greek Defence, Thomson Locations: Volos, Greece, Magnesia, Nea Aghialos, Aghialos, Rhodes

☆ Greece sees some wildfire respite, though stubborn blazes rage on
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Wildfires across Greece have abated but firefighters are still operating at different spots," a fire brigade official said. Greece is heavily reliant on tourism and Rhodes, one of its biggest islands, is among its top summer destinations, attracting about 1.5 million foreign tourists in the summer months. [1/4]Flames and smoke rise as a wildfire burns near the village of Gennadi, on the island of Rhodes, Greece, July 25, 2023. REUTERS/Nicolas Economou/File PhotoTourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said that wildfires have affected only a small part of the island. On the island of Corfu, where a wildfire rekindled overnight without threatening homes, a local governor said he suspected arson.

Persons: Rhodes, Nicolas Economou, Olga Kefalogianni, Nikos Mouzakitis, Angeliki Koutantou, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Firefighters, Canadair CL, Rhodes, REUTERS, ERT, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Greece, Evia, Rhodes, Gennadi, Corfu, Athens

☆ Wildfires bring death and destruction to Mediterranean
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Fedja Grulovic And Lamine Chikhi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Without human-induced climate change, the events this month would have been "extremely rare", according to a study by World Weather Attribution, a global team of scientists that examines the role played by climate change in extreme weather. The heat, with temperatures topping 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), is well in excess of what usually attracts tourists who flock to southern European beaches. Neighbouring Algeria deployed some 8,000 firefighters to bring its deadly fires under control, authorities said. Malta, another major Mediterranean holiday destination, suffered a raft of power cuts across the country, affecting its largest hospital, after a week-long heatwave. "I have been through 65 summers in my lifetime... and what I am seeing now is not normal, we can no longer deny it, climate change is changing our lives," Mayor Giuseppe Sala said on social media.

Persons: Rhodes Blaze, RHODES, Ramzi Boudina, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Rhodes, Lanai Karpataki, Europe's sweltering, Giuseppe Sala, Angeliki Koutantou, Renee Maltezou, Federico Maccioni, Alvise, Lamine Chikhi, Jana Choukeir, Nayera Abdalla, David Stanway, Keith Weir, Janet Lawrence Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Algeria, Rhodes, Palermo, Tunisia, Malta, ALGIERS, Sicily, China, United States, Europe, North Africa, Bejaia, Kiotari, Europe's, Milan

☆ Wildfires in Greece: what you need to know about the island of Rhodes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ATHENS, July 23 (Reuters) - Following are some facts about the Greek island of Rhodes, facing wildfires that caused thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate this weekend. With a population of about 125,000 people, Rhodes is the ninth largest island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Lying to the southeast of the Greek mainland, it is one of the country's most popular islands for tourists, known for its sun-drenched beaches and historic sites. The old medieval town of Rhodes is home to a citadel, one of the finest examples of Gothic defensive architecture, and a well-preserved castle, the Palace of the Grand Master. In the southeast of the island, the small fishing village of Lindos attracts tourists with its hilltop medieval fortress and ancient acropolis.

Persons: Rhodes, Saint John, Angeliki, Frances Kerry Organizations: Knights, Crusaders, UNESCO, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Rhodes, Lindos

☆ One killed in bridge collapse in the Greek city of Patras
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/4] People are seen at the site of a bridge that collapsed in Patras, Greece, July 23, 2023. Andreas Alexopoulos/Intime News via REUTERSATHENS, July 23 (Reuters) - Part of a bridge collapsed on Sunday along a ring road in Patras, Greece's third-largest city, killing one person and injuring eight, the fire brigade said. Fire brigade rescuers were on the scene to pull out any people trapped, fire brigade spokesman Ioannis Artopoios said. Part of the bridge was reduced to a mass of broken concrete slabs and iron rods and dozens of rescuers were working at the spot, footage from Greek media showed. Another fire brigade official said that the bridge had been closed last week due to reconstruction works.

Persons: Andreas Alexopoulos, Ioannis Artopoios, Angeliki, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Fire, Thomson Locations: Patras, Greece, REUTERS ATHENS, Greece's

ATHENS, July 23 (Reuters) - A wildfire raging on the Greek island of Rhodes forced thousands of tourists and island residents to shelter in schools and indoor stadiums on Sunday after they were evacuated from coastal villages and resorts. One government official told Reuters 19,000 people had been moved away from their homes and hotels, 3,000 of them by boat. Large groups gathered in the streets under a red sky waiting to be taken to safety. "We have between 4,000 and 5,000 people now accommodated at different structures," Thanasis Virinis, a vice mayor of Rhodes told Mega television on Sunday, calling for donations of essentials such as mattresses and bedclothes. "Customers currently in Rhodes will return on their intended flight home", it sad in a statement.

Persons: Amy Leyden, Leyden, Rhodes, Ioannis Artopoios, Jet2, TUI, Renee Maltezou, Elizabeth Piper, Frank Jack Daniel, Frances Kerry Organizations: Correndon, Reuters, Sky News, Volunteers, Mega, Firefighters, World Meteorological Organization, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Rhodes, TUI, Greece, Kiotari, Lindos, Southern Europe

☆ Wildfire on Greek island of Rhodes forces hundreds to evacuate
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Smoke rises from a wildfire in Rhodes Island, Greece, July 22, 2023 in this screengrab taken from a social media video. Tiktok/@blairsbrainiacs/via REUTERSATHENS, July 22 (Reuters) - A wildfire raged uncontrolled on the Greek island of Rhodes on Saturday, forcing hundreds of people to flee affected villages and beaches, authorities said. It damaged three hotels in the seaside village of Kiotari on Saturday, according to the Athens News Agency. Fires are common in Greece but hotter, drier and windy summers have turned the country into a wildfire hotspot in recent years. Meteorologists have warned that the current sweltering temperatures are expected to last until the end of the month.

Persons: Angeliki, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Coastguard, coastguard, Firefighters, Athens News Agency, Thomson Locations: Rhodes Island, Greece, REUTERS ATHENS, Rhodes, Kiotari, Slovakia

☆ Rhodes wildfire forces mass evacuations
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

He said an operation was ongoing to evacuate about 600 people from beaches in Kiotari and Gennadi towards Plimmiri. Firefighters, backed by air water bombers and reinforcements by Slovakia, struggled with new outbreaks of the wildfire, which was fanned by strong winds. [1/18]A wildfire burns in a forest near Lardos, on the island of Rhodes, Greece, July 22, 2023. It damaged at least three hotels in the seaside village of Kiotari on Saturday, according to the Athens News Agency. Fires are common in Greece but hotter, drier and windy summers have turned the country into a wildfire hotspot in recent years.

Persons: Nikos Alexiou, Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, Konstantinos Taraslias, Rhodes, Taraslias, Angeliki Koutantou, Frances Kerry, Mike Harrison, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Coastguard, coastguard, Authorities, Firefighters, REUTERS, Athens News Agency, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Rhodes, Kiotari, Plimmiri, Pefki, Slovakia, Lardos, Greece, Laerma

☆ Wildfires in Greece burn for fifth day as another heatwave hits
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Fedja Grulovic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A person walks at the yard of a burnt house following a wildfire in Mandra, Greece, July 21. REUTERS/Louiza VradiATHENS, July 21 (Reuters) - Greece struggled to contain a wildfire west of Athens that burnt forestland for a fifth day on Friday as another heatwave hit the country. Two other blazes in forests on the island of Rhodes and in the Lakonia district in southern Greece were tamed on Friday. The risk of wildfires in the coming days will remain high and further heat is forecast following on from a previous heatwave. Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas and Fedja Grulovic; Editing by Angeliki Koutantou and Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vassilis Kikilias, Lefteris Papadimas, Angeliki Koutantou, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Firefighters, Reuters, Culture Ministry, Thomson Locations: Mandra, Greece, Louiza, ATHENS, Athens, Cyprus, France, Israel, Italy, Rhodes, Lakonia

☆ Wildfires in Greece largely contained, new heatwave looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Men help a firefighter as they try to extinguish a wildfire burning near the village Vlyhada, near Athens, Greece, July 19, 2023. REUTERS/Stelios MisinasATHENS, July 20 (Reuters) - Wildfires across Greece were largely contained on Thursday after razing swathes of forest and dozens of homes for days, though a new heatwave loomed, threatening to stoke tinderbox conditions across the country. A fire west of Athens which prompted mass evacuations earlier in the week was contained, a fire brigade official said. Land and aerial firefighting forces will continue preventive patrolling in forests across Greece amid difficult conditions, authorities said late on Wednesday. Fires are common in Greece, but hotter, drier and windy summers have turned the Mediterranean into a wildfire hotspot in recent years.

Persons: Stelios Misinas, Angeliki, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Firefighters, Thomson Locations: Athens, Greece, Stelios Misinas ATHENS, stoke, Rhodes

[1/3] People cool off near the Spanish Steps, during a heatwave across Italy, as temperatures are expected to rise further in the coming days, in Rome, Italy July 18, 2023. They have added fresh urgency to talks this week between the United States and China, the world's top greenhouse gas polluters. "Whilst most of the attention focuses on daytime maximum temperatures, it is the overnight temperatures which have the biggest health risks, especially for vulnerable populations," it said. The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service says 2022 and 2021 were the continent's hottest summers on record. In a large part of the territory, night-time temperatures were in the top 5% of the highest recorded at this time of year.

Persons: Remo Casilli, John Kerry, Xi Jinping, Carlo Spanu, Anita Elshoy, Elshoy, AEMET, Talim, Angelo Amante, Emma Farge, Giselda, Crispian Balmer, Angeliki Koutantou, Emma Pinedo Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Matthias Williams, Janet Lawrence Organizations: REUTERS, World Meteorological Organization, WMO, Thomson Locations: Italy, Rome, Europe, U.S, Asia Italy, ROME, Asia, United States, Sardinia, Lazio, heatwaves, Death, China's, Greece, Swiss, India, South Korea, China, Beijing, North America, North Africa, Sicily, Sulcis, Norway, Spain, Catalonia, Aragon, Mallorca, Andujar, 44.9C, Toledo, Dervenochoria, Athens

[1/4] A firefighter tries to extinguish a wildfire burning near the village of Pournari, Greece, July 18, 2023. The blaze raged in the area of Dervenochoria about 30 km (18.6 miles) north of Athens. Fire fighters managed to contain other blazes southeast and west of the Greek capital but the fronts were still active. A mayor told Greek television that more than 7,000 acres of land was reduced to ashes along a coast, where many Athenians have holiday homes. Greece still has memories of a wildfire disaster in 2018, when a blaze killed 101 people in the seaside town of Mati, east of Athens.

Persons: Ioannis Artopoios, Janez Lenarcic, Kyriakos, Giorgos Nikolaou, Angeliki Koutantou, Stelios Misinas, Lefteris Papadimas, Simon Cameron, Moore, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Union, Greek Fire Service, Fire, Canadair, EU Crisis, Thomson Locations: Pournari, Greece, DERVENOCHORIA, Athens, Dervenochoria, France, Italy, Brussels, America, Kouvaras, Anavyssos, Lagonissi, Loutraki, Mati

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