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The logo of commodities trader Glencore is pictured in front of the company's headquarters in Baar, Switzerland, July 18, 2017. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsROME, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Glencore (GLEN.L) has decided to build a pilot project for an electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling plant outside of Italy, but still has its eye on the island of Sardinia for a larger facility, the Swiss mining group said on Thursday. "This development does not immediately impact the feasibility assessment of the larger hub project," Glencore said in an emailed statement. This initiative is important for our recycling strategy and aligns with Italy's objectives for sustainable industry development," the group added. The Swiss group did not specify where it would build the pilot plant.

Persons: Arnd, Glencore, Li, Francesca Landini, Jan Harvey, Keith Weir Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Union, Hub, Reuters, UIL, Thomson Locations: Baar, Switzerland, Italy, Sardinia, Swiss, Portovesme, Europe, North America, Sardinian, CISL

☆ New celestial images will create a 3D map of the universe
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Editor’s note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Also this week, a new telescope opened our eyes to a fresh perspective of the universe. ESAThe first five images captured by the Euclid telescope showcase glimmering clusters of galaxies and stars. The telescope, launched in July, was designed to create the most detailed 3D map of the hidden “dark side” of the universe. Sign up here to receive in your inbox the next edition of Wonder Theory, brought to you by CNN Space and Science writers Ashley Strickland and Katie Hunt.

Persons: James Webb, Chandra, Lucy, Campi, Alessandro Carboni , Alessandro Carboni, Tibor Litauszki, Galatée, Farouk El, Baz, Yardangs, Leif Ristroph, Ristroph, Koji Murata, Andy Murray’s, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Orion, ESA, Hemisphere, New York University’s Courant, Mathematical Sciences, ” Kyoto, CNN Space, Science Locations: Italy, Naples, Capri, Ischia, Bay, Hungarian, Europe, New York, Sardinia, China

☆ A discovery of more than 30,000 ancient Roman coins may point the way to a hidden shipwreck
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It turned out to be 30,000 to 50,000 ancient Roman bronze coins dating back to the 4th century. Italy's ministry of culture said it could point to a hidden shipwreck in the area. AdvertisementAdvertisementA diver made a rare discovery while exploring a seabed off the coast of Sardinia, Italy: 30,000 to 50,000 ancient Roman coins that may be evidence of a nearby hidden shipwreck more than a thousand years old. Italian Ministry of CultureThe coins are called follis, which Roman emperor Diocletian introduced in AD 294, according to The Guardian. Italian Ministry of CultureThe location of the coins might indicate that there's an ancient shipwreck hidden somewhere nearby, the Italian ministry of culture said, according to the AP.

Persons: —, Italy's, Diocletian, Luigi La Rocca, La Rocca Organizations: Service, Guardian, Italian Ministry of, CNN Locations: Italy, Sardinia, Sardinian

☆ Diver’s huge discovery of ancient coins off coast of Sardinia hints at shipwreck
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Hafsa Khalil | Sharon Braithwaite | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The diver spotted some “metal remains” in shallow water near the town of Arzachena, the ministry said in a statement Saturday. These turned out to be “follis”—Roman bronze or copper coins also later used as Byzantine currency. Italian Ministry of CultureBased on their weight, the total number of coins in the find is estimated to be between 30,000 and 50,000, the ministry said. According to the statement, the coins date from 324 to 340 CE and were produced by mints across the Roman empire. Italian Ministry of CultureThe culture ministry said the location where the coins were found—a sandy clearing between the beach and an area of seagrass—could, theoretically, preserve a shipwreck.

Persons: Luigi La Rocca, ” La Rocca Organizations: CNN, Italian Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Locations: Sardinia, Italy, Arzachena, Seaton , United Kingdom

ROME (AP) — A diver who spotted something metallic not far from Sardinia's coast has led to the discovery of tens of thousands of ancient bronze coins. The ministry didn't say exactly when the first diver caught a glimpse of something metallic just off shore Sardinia, not far from the town of Arzachena. A ministry statement estimated that there are at least about 30,000 and possibly as many as 50,000, given their collective weight. The coins were mainly found in a wide area of sand between the underwater seagrass and the beach, the ministry said. Given the location and shape of the seabed, there could be remains of ship wreckage nearby, the ministry said.

Persons: hasn’t, Luigi La Rocca, La Rocca Organizations: ROME Locations: Sardinia's, Sardinia, Arzachena, Sardinian

☆ Storm Ciarán: At least six dead and several missing as torrential rain and strong winds lash Italy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Rome, Italy CNN —At least six people have died in Tuscany, according to the region’s president, after torrential rain and strong winds from Storm Ciarán swept northern and central Italy overnight Thursday. A man walks in the mud in Montemurlo, near Prato, after torrential rain hit the area, on November 3, 2023. It asked people to leave nearby areas and remove vehicles near river banks. Helicopters, land vehicles, water pumps, buses and also the Comsubin [submarine search vehicles] for search and rescue activities,” he said in a statement Friday morning. Storm Ciarán has pummeled parts of western Europe since Wednesday night with strong winds and torrential rain.

Persons: Storm Ciarán, Eugenio Giani, Giani, Federico Scoppa, Arno, Guido Crosetto, ”, Olivier Véran, Friederike Otto, CNN’s Laura Paddison, Pierre Bairin, James Frater, Delal Mawad, Eve Brennan Organizations: Italy CNN —, Storm, Getty, CNN, Defense, Armed Forces, Belgium —, Grantham Institute, Imperial College London Locations: Rome, Italy, Tuscany, Veneto, Prato, Florence, Montemurlo, AFP, Pontedera, Pisa, Milan, Como, Sardinia, Lazio, Europe, France, Belgium

France, where Ryanair serves cities such as Marseille and Bordeaux, has floated proposals for a minimum ticket price in an effort to reduce pollution from aviation. The French price proposal, which EU officials said has drawn some support from the Netherlands and Belgium, got short shrift from senior Ryanair executive Eddie Wilson. Having established a strong position in large parts of Western Europe, Ryanair is now looking east to countries such as Poland for further growth. Europe's main airlines lobby group expressed relief and called on more European coordination to support the sector. Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr has said a stronger ITA will reinvigorate competition in the Italian market but Ryanair's Wilson is unperturbed, describing ITA as a sideshow.

Persons: Eddie Wilson, Wilson, Andrea Giuricin, Giorgia, Giuseppe Cocuzza, Ourania Georgoutsakou, Carsten Spohr, Ryanair's Wilson, Rome Fiumicino, Sacbo, Angelo Amante, Keith Weir, Joanna Plucinska, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Ryanair, Europe's, European Union, Ryanair DAC, Alitalia, TRA Consulting, European Commission, Airlines for, ITA, Lufthansa, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Thomson Locations: Italy, ROME, France, Marseille, Bordeaux, Sicily, Sardinia, Netherlands, Belgium, Europe, Western Europe, Poland, Rome, Catania, Airlines for Europe, Bergamo, Milan, Malpensa, Brescia, London

☆ Southern Italians stick with student life as jobs hard to find
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 12 (Reuters) - Southern Italians are studying more and for longer as a shortage of jobs forces many to either stay in school or relocate, a report by national statistics bureau ISTAT showed on Thursday. "The lack of stable and good quality job opportunities in the Mezzogiorno is nothing new, but the situation among "millennials" is getting worse", ISTAT said. "The current youth of the Mezzogiorno face a longer and more complicated journey towards adulthood," it added. "It is a paradox, but in the medium-long term, this could fuel a further deprivation of human capital with advanced skills, which is indispensable for the Mezzogiorno", ISTAT said. Southern youths are dissatisfied with their economic situation and almost three quarters of them still live with their parents.

Persons: Alessandro Parodi, Keith Weir Organizations: ISTAT, Thomson Locations: Southern, Sicily, Sardinia, Italy

☆ 'They just come, take a nice selfie ... and leave.' Overtourism returns, but cities are fighting back
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Many cities have come full circle to worrying about too many tourists rather than too few. "They just come, take a nice selfie, publish them on social media, increase the popularity of this place … and leave," she said. And an additional 50 million international tourist arrivals are expected per year — mostly from Asia — between now and 2030, according to the U.N.'s World Tourism Organization. James Matsumoto| Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesSome travelers supported Bhutan's $200 per day Sustainable Development Fee, which was announced in 2022. Managing 'tourist flow'The United Nations World Tourism Organization secretary-general, Zurab Pololikashvili, told CNBC Travel that the key to overcoming overtourism lies in "tourist flow."

Persons: Lionel Saul, Tatyana Tsukanova, What's, Tsukanova, Reinhard Hormandinger, Saul, Jesus Merida, It's, Luca Zanon, Ivan Saprov, Saprov, Miyajima, James Matsumoto, Zurab Pololikashvili, overtourism, Jon Hicks, —, Darrell Wade, Reinhard Hoermandinger Organizations: Hospitality Business, United Nations, Asia —, Tourism Organization, South, Afp, Getty, Guardian, daytrippers, CNBC, United Nations World Tourism Organization, CNBC Travel, Stone, Japan Times, Intrepid Travel Locations: Lausanne, Switzerland, Asia, South Korean, Machu Picchu, Peru, Acropolis, Athens, Borobudur, Indonesia, Sardinia, Venice, Bora Bora, Amsterdam, Spanish, Malaga, Spain, France, trialing, daytrippers . New, Valencia, Manchester, England, Thailand, Iceland, U.S, Bali, Germany, Yogyakarta, Labuan Bajo, Lake Toba, Austria

☆ 2024 Ferrari Roma Spider: The Taming of the Wind
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Dan Neil | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

TOP GEAR The Ferrari Roma Spider can retract and fold its five-ply fabric top in 13.5 seconds, at vehicle speeds up to 35 mph. The Maranello-based manufacturer developed a selection of high-tech weaves in contrasting colors for the top, including charcoal over a lustrous metallic red. Photo: FerrariSARDINIA HAS BEEN inhabited for thousands of years, and it shows. Every foot of the rugged Mediterranean island has been put to work growing, making or earning something—even the roads. Last month Ferrari lofted its banners over a resort near the southern port of Cagliari and invited journalists to test-drive the new Ferrari Roma Spider, taking advantage of the excellent tarmac, ideal weather and complaisant authorities.

Persons: Ferrari Roma, —, Ferrari Organizations: Ferrari, Ferrari Roma Locations: Ferrari SARDINIA, Cagliari

☆ Glencore may look elsewhere for recycling hub after Italy rejects fast-track approval
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of commodities trader Glencore is pictured in front of the company's headquarters in Baar, Switzerland, July 18, 2017. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Glencore Plc (GLEN.L) may look at alternative options for a recycling hub in Europe for electric car batteries after the Italian region of Sardinia rejected a fast-track approval process for its pilot project, the mining company said. The companies said they would set up the hub in Portovesme, in Sardinia, by re-purposing Glencore's existing production sites on the island. Sardinia's regional government said on Friday the pilot project for the recycling hub could not be granted a fast-track approval process. "Glencore may consider alternative options for a European battery materials processing hub if the unnecessary extension of the approval process results in a delayed timeline that makes the project economically unviable," it said.

Persons: Arnd, Glencore, Francesca Landini, Jane Merriman Organizations: REUTERS, Glencore, Cycle Holdings, Thomson Locations: Baar, Switzerland, Europe, Italian, Sardinia, Italy, Portovesme

☆ Residents of Loma Linda, California—the only 'Blue Zone' in America—use 5 pillars to live a long, healthy life
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Adventists in Loma Linda tend to live up to 10 years longer than the average American. At 84, Dr. Loida Medina often plays pickleball for three hours straight with her friends who are also in their 80s. As residents of Loma Linda and Seventh-day Adventists, Medina and her loved ones consider staying active to be extremely significant for living a longer, more fulfilled life. "See, longevity is exercise and community," Medina said in the new Netflix series, "Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones." DON'T MISS: 4 things the world’s longest-living people—residents of ‘Blue Zones’ like Okinawa and Sardinia—do to stay healthy and happy"We call each other like we're high school kids, you know?

Persons: expectancies, Loida Medina, Medina Organizations: Loma, Netflix Locations: U.S, Calif, America, Loma Linda, Loma, ‘, Okinawa, Sardinia

☆ Facing fares row, Ryanair hit by new antitrust probe in Italy
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ryanair said on Wednesday that internal Italian flights to Sicily would be cut by 10% in its latest winter schedule, blaming the government's planned price cap. Eddie Wilson, the chief executive of Ryanair DAC, the biggest airline in the Ryanair group, said the airline opposed the measure despite the modification. During a visit to Sicily, Wilson contrasted Ryanair's expansion of foreign flights to and from the island with the reduction on domestic routes. "Italian domestic growth has sadly been negatively impacted by the Italian government's unlawful price cap decree to restrict airlines’ freedom to set low air fares," Wilson said in a statement. Ryanair has already reduced its domestic schedule for flights to Sardinia over the winter.

Persons: International Eleftherios Venizelos, Alkis, Eddie Wilson, Wilson, Alvise Armellini, Keith Weir, Cristina Carlevaro, Jason Neely, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Ryanair, Company, Europe's, International Eleftherios, REUTERS, Ryanair DAC, Thomson Locations: Italy, Sicily, ROME, Athens, Greece, Sardinia

☆ 4 things the world's longest-living people—residents of 'Blue Zones' like Okinawa and Sardinia—do to stay healthy and happy
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Now more than ever, people are searching for ways to live a longer life, and Dan Buettner, author and expert on the longest-lived communities in the world, has been on the hunt for those answers for more than 15 years. Buettner's new documentary on Netflix, "Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones," has grasped the attention of longevity-seekers. Throughout the limited series, Buettner travels to the five "Blue Zones," areas with the highest rates of living to 100 — or becoming centenarians — and the highest middle-age life expectancies in the world. The five Blue Zones are:Okinawa, JapanSardinia, ItalyLoma Linda, Calif., U.S.Ikaria, GreeceNicoya, Costa RicaDON'T MISS: People who live to 100 don’t eat like typical Americans: Here are ‘the 5 pillars of a longevity diet’After interviewing residents of those areas and observing their practices, Buettner was able to find commonalities across all five Blue Zones, and come up with four things that each community does to contribute to their longevity.

Persons: Dan Buettner, —, expectancies, Italy Loma, Buettner Organizations: Netflix Locations: Okinawa, Japan Sardinia, Italy, Calif, Ikaria, Greece, Costa Rica

☆ A village on an Italian island is providing free housing to digital nomads
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Silvia Marchetti | Poonam Binayak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Last week, Partis landed in the Sardinian village of Ollolai in Italy for a free stay paid by the local municipality. She's the first digital nomad to arrive — and already she said it feels like a life-changer. Source: Veronica Matta"That was a major success — many foreigners bought and restyled dozens of forsaken dwellings," said Mayor Francesco Columbu told CNBC. "Now, after investing in high-speed internet, with this new project 'Work from Ollolai' we want to make our village a digital nomad hub." Source: Veronica Matta"I just had to give my landowner a symbolic one euro for the house rental," said Partis.

Persons: Clarese, Partis, Ollolai, Antonio Meloni, Francesco Columbu, Veronica Matta, Sa, Matta, Veronica Matta Partis, —, that's Organizations: CNBC, Workers Locations: Los Angeles, Sardinian, Ollolai, Italy, Zanzibar, Sardinia, Singapore, Sardinia —, Partis

☆ Singapore is the world's 6th Blue Zone — and a look at its urban planning helps explain why
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Amanda Goh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Singapore is the world's sixth Blue Zone, according to Dan Buettner, a journalist who popularized the term. In the Netflix series "Live to 100," Buettner shows how the country is designed to encourage its residents to live healthier. Policies on housing, transportation, and hawker centers come together to create what he calls a "Blue Zone 2.0." The original five Blue Zone regions include Okinawa in Japan, Ikaria in Greece, Sardinia in Italy, Nicoya in Costa Rica, as well as Loma Linda in California. "You share tables and you're interacting with the stall user, interacting with the person next to you," Buettner told Fortune.

Persons: Dan Buettner, Buettner, Amanda Goh, Chan Heng Chee, Chan Organizations: Netflix, Service, World Bank, Housing Development Board, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Transportation, Singapore, Hawker Locations: Singapore, Wall, Silicon, Okinawa, Japan, Ikaria, Greece, Sardinia, Italy, Nicoya, Costa Rica, California

☆ Europe’s summer of extremes triggers health warnings, nuclear output fears and shipping disruption
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Europe's protracted battle with extreme weather conditions comes shortly after official data showed July was the hottest month in history. To be sure, the climate emergency — which is primarily driven by the burning of fossil fuels — is making extreme weather and its impacts more frequent and more intense. People stand at an overflooded petrol station in Gjovik on August 11, 2023 after extreme weather with heavy rain hit south-east Norway. This gives us the long-term context for the increasing occurrence and severity of such extreme weather and extreme events." On the same day, France issued an extreme heat warning for four regional departments in the southern regions of Rhone, Drome, Ardeche and Haute-Loire.

Persons: Angelos Tzortzinis, Alvaro Silva, Heiko Junge, Silva, Christophe Archambault, Nero, sweltering, Fabrice Coffrini Organizations: Sikorsky, Afp, Getty, EDF, Turkish, Meteorological Organization, Firefighters, Reuters Locations: Acharnes, Athens, Europe, Greece, French, Italy, Norway, Gjovik, Alexandroupolis, France, Rhone, Drome, Ardeche, Haute, Loire, Bordeaux, Sardinia, Dardanelles, Switzerland

☆ $2 to cut a sandwich in half: The outrageous rip-offs targeting tourists in Italy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

– plate near Portofino in northern Italy, and 10 cents for a sprinkle of cocoa on a cappuccino at a Lake Como coffee bar. Easy targetsOutrageous charges, like 2 euros for slicing a ham sandwich, have been labeled "crazy receipts" by the Italian media. High fuel and energy prices have made it an incredibly expensive summer. Worst offendersSome of the highest price hikes in Europe have left a vacation at home too expensive for many Italians. “We had this trip planned before Covid and have been dreaming about it even though we read the headlines about expensive prices.

Persons: Rome, Rome CNN —, Stefano Mazzola, Giorgia Meloni, ”, Furio, Truzzi, Francesca Volpi, Sharm el Sheik, ” Paolo Manca, Betsy, James Cramer, ” Betsy, “, Alberto Pizzoli, Antonio Coviello, Daniela Santanche Organizations: Rome CNN, CNN, Bloomberg, Getty, Italy’s National Research Center Locations: Italian, Lake Como, Ostia, Sardinia, Portofino, Italy, Como, Albania, Montenegro, Ukraine, Europe, Puglia, Egypt, Piazza Navona, Rome, AFP

☆ Europe endures another year of droughts and wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Last year, heatwaves resulted in over 61,600 heat-related fatalities across 35 European countries and triggered devastating wildfires. Below is a list of the most recent blazes and heat-related warnings issued in Europe. Another broke out on Aug. 20 in the southern Hautes-Alpes region of France, burning at least 140 hectares. It was the biggest blaze the region has faced in the last 20 years, media reported. Portugal's authorities declared some 120 municipalities across Portugal at maximum risk of wildfires due to the heat.

Persons: heatwaves, BRGM, Fernando Clavijo, Dina Kartit, Gaëlle Sheehan, Piotr Lipiński, Ed Osmond Organizations: Spanish National Research Council, ITALY, Thomson Locations: Europe, Sicily, France, Perpignan, Alpes, GREECE, Alexandroupolis, Spain, Greece, Rhodes, Corfu, Italy, Sardinia, Rome, Lazio, PORTUGAL, Portugal, SPAIN Tenerife, Canary, La Palma

☆ Heatwave caused higher than normal death rate in southern Italy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A homeless woman who did not want to give her name takes shade from the sun with an umbrella as she sits near Termini train station during a heatwave across Italy in Rome, Italy July 21, 2023. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane/File photoROME, Aug 7 (Reuters) - The central and southern regions of Italy recorded 7% more deaths than normal in July after a baking heatwave, health ministry data showed, while firefighters on Monday battled fires on Sardinia and hailstones and floods battered the northeast. In its latest monthly data, Italy's ministry of health noted the effects of extreme temperatures on the country's mortality rate in July compared to the average rate recorded in the same period from 2015 to 2019. The increased mortality rate was particularly evident in southern cities such as Bari, Catania, and Reggio Calabria. On the contrary, the mortality rate in cities in the north of the country, which was less exposed to the heatwave, was lower than expected, down 14% on the past trend.

Persons: Guglielmo Mangiapane, Federica, Keith Weir, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Monday, Friuli Venezia Giulia, hailstones, Sunday, Firefighters, Thomson Locations: Italy, Rome, ROME, Sardinia, hailstones, Europe, Bari, Catania, Reggio Calabria, Nuoro, Cagliari, Friuli, Slovenia

☆ Airlines take aim at Italy's plans to bring down sky-high prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An Airbus A380 of German air carrier Lufthansa is seen at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, February 12, 2019. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File PhotoROME, Aug 7 (Reuters) - A group of airlines operating in Italy on Monday criticised government plans to curb ticket prices at the height of the summer season, saying they could breach European Union free market rules. Ticket prices to Italy's two main islands have soared in recent weeks. Companies including Lufthansa (LHAG.DE), EasyJet (EZJ.L), American Airlines (AAL.O) and Delta (DAL.N) are members of the IBAR, the association's website shows. Measures in a decree law take effect immediately, but parliament has to ratify them within two months, otherwise they lapse.

Persons: Kai Pfaffenbach, Giorgia Meloni's, Angelo Amante, Alvise Organizations: Airbus, Lufthansa, REUTERS, Monday, Union, Italian, of Airlines Representatives, Companies, American Airlines, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, EU

☆ Pre-Olympics swimming event at risk as storms dirty Seine river
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( America Hernandez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Paris 2024 Olympics - Training for test swimming event for Paris 2024 - River Seine, Paris, France - August 4, 2023 A tourist boat is pictured on the River Seine beside the Pont Alexandre III bridge REUTERS/Stephanie LecocqPARIS, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Participants of this weekend's Open Water Swimming World Cup were barred from a Friday morning training session in Paris' river Seine as heavy rainfall caused water quality to dip below health standards, the French Swimming Federation (FFN) said. The women's 10 kilometre race on Saturday - a qualifying event for marathon swimming at the Paris 2024 Olympics - is still scheduled to go ahead, pending a new river water quality test on Friday evening. "The water quality tests are done regularly, and they are progressively improving," the spokesperson added. International federation World Aquatics did not immediately respond to a request for comment about further backup plans for the races if Seine water quality does not improve this weekend. The city has been working on clean-up efforts to make the Seine swimmable again, as it was during the 1900 Paris Olympics more than a century ago.

Persons: Pont Alexandre III, Stephanie Lecocq PARIS, Jacques Chirac, America Hernandez, Geert De Clercq Organizations: Paris, French Swimming Federation, Olympics, Thomson Locations: Seine, Paris, France, Villette, Egypt, Italy

☆ Extreme heat in Europe is becoming the new normal — prompting tourists toward cooler destinations
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tourists are evacuated as huge wildfire rages across Greece's Rhodes island on July 22, 2023. Sweltering conditions across southern Europe could accelerate a burgeoning trend among holidaymakers, as more tourists prioritize milder temperatures or off-season travel to avoid spending their time away in oppressive heat. Europe is currently experiencing some of the hottest temperatures of the summer so far, with yet another heatwave expected to push the mercury close to record-breaking levels in the coming days. The southern European country was followed closely by France (7%), Italy (7%), Greece (5%) and Croatia (5%). The popularity of Mediterranean vacation destinations, however, dropped by 10% compared to last year, when Europe experienced its hottest summer on record.

Organizations: European Travel Commission, ETC Locations: Greece's Rhodes, Europe, Greece, Spain, Sardinia, Sicily, Italy, Brussels, France, Croatia

☆ Calabria hit by wildfires, heat in Italy to intensify
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, July 23 (Reuters) - Firefighters battled blazes in the southern Italian region of Calabria on Sunday and forecasters warned that temperatures were set to soar again in parts of the country over the next day or two. Additional teams of firefighters were called in from the regions of Campania and Lazio, as well as the Sicilian city of Messina. A heat wave has hit southern Europe during the peak summer tourist season, breaking records - including in Rome - and bringing warnings about an increased risk of deaths. Italy is one of the European countries most affected by climate change and suffered deadly floods in May. Parts of northern Italy have also seen intense hail storms as the hot weather broke down there in the last few days.

Persons: Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Keith Weir, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: Firefighters, Sunday, Energy, La Repubblica, Thomson Locations: Italian, Calabria, Campania, Lazio, Sicilian, Messina, Europe, Rome, Rhodes, Italy, Sicily, Sardinia

☆ Europe braces for yet another heatwave as Greek PM warns 'hard times are clearly not over yet'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Atop the Acropolis ancient hill, tourists visit the Parthenon temple during a heat wave on July 20, 2023 in Athens, Greece. The Acropolis of Athens and other archaeological sites in Greece announced reduced opening hours due to the heatwave conditions. Europe is set for another heatwave in the coming days, pushing temperatures back toward record levels as an oppressive "heat dome" expands over the southern half of the continent. Scientists say the recent spate of heat records reaffirms the increasing urgency to slash greenhouse gas emissions as quickly and as deeply as possible. A heat dome occurs when a high-pressure circulation in the atmosphere acts likes a lid or a cap, trapping hot air in place and creating vast areas of sweltering heat.

Persons: heatwaves Organizations: European Centre Locations: Athens, Greece, Europe, U.S, China, Spain, Sardinia, Sicily, Italy

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