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☆ Wildfires rage in Greece, Spain and Italy as heatwave spreads
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Alexandros Avramidis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Flames burn a tree as a wildfire rages in Alexandroupolis, on the region of Evros, Greece. Authorities urged residents to avoid the heat as France, Italy, Spain and elsewhere suffered hot, dry and windy conditions that scientists have linked to climate change. WILDFIRES IN SPAIN, ITALYThe blaze has burned through 15,000 hectares in 12 municipalities forcing the evacuation of thousands of people. In France, four southern regions - the Rhone, Drome, Ardeche and Haute-Loire - were placed under red alert, the most serious warning. Grape-pickers in wine-producing regions of southern France have been advised to start work on the harvest in the early hours of the morning to avoid sweltering in a late summer heatwave.

Persons: Alexandros Avramidis, I've, Nikos Gioktsidis, Vassilis Varthakogiannis, AEMET, Alessandro Vitaliano, ANSA, Karolina Tagaris, Dominique Vidalon, Gisela Vignoni, Crispian Balmer, Ingrid Melander, Janet Lawrence Organizations: Flames, REUTERS, Greece Firefighters, heatwave, University Hospital, ERT, Rio Marina, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Alexandroupolis, Evros, Greece, Spain, Italy, Europe, France, Turkey, Tenerife, SPAIN, ITALY, Elba, Rio, Rome, Milan, Florence, Drome, Ardeche, Haute, Loire, Rhone, Alexandropoulis, Athens, Paris

☆ Olive oil is in trouble as extreme heat and drought pushes the industry into crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —There is a crisis brewing in the olive oil industry. The situation is all the more concerning as it comes on the heels of a bad olive harvest last year, following Europe’s hottest summer on record. In Spain, the world’s biggest olive oil producer, production plunged to roughly 620,000 metric tons, compared to the five-year average of around 1.3 million metric tons, said Holland. This summer, heat gripped swaths of the Mediterranean region, bringing a “heat hell” scientists say would have been virtually impossible without climate change. “It’s getting to the stage where the concerns are significant not just for olive oil but for a lot of crops,” Holland said.

Persons: Kyle Holland, “, ”, Walter Zanre, Filippo Berio, Carlos Gil, Farmer Cristobal Cano, Jorge Guerrero, Holland, Zanre, ” Holland, It’s, Corey Lesk, Lorenzo Bazzana, Bazzana, Claudia Greco, Burger King, Nicholas Paulson, ” Paulson, “ We’re, ” Lesk Organizations: CNN, Getty, International Olive Council, Dartmouth College, “, Reuters, University of Illinois Locations: Europe, Spain, Holland, Jaen, AFP, Italy, Greece, Emilia, Romagna, Forli, India, South, University of Illinois Urbana, Champaign

☆ Coe says sports must take responsibility for adapting to climate change
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Lori Ewing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nearly 80% of athletes surveyed by World Athletics said they are seriously concerned about the climate crisis, and some 75% said their competition or training has already been affected, Coe said on the eve of the world championships. "I genuinely don't think governments are going to meet any of the targets that are being identified. And this is very much a personal view, I'm not speaking on behalf of World Athletics. "The temperature started out mid-30s, by the time I left those championships it had got to 44 - and that's the relatively equable climate of Oregon," Coe said. The welfare of the athletes for me always needs to be primary," Coe said.

Persons: Sebastian Coe, Coe, " Coe, we've, Lori Ewing, Ken Ferris Organizations: World Athletics, Olympic, Thomson Locations: BUDAPEST, Europe, Asia, Tokyo, Sapporo, Doha, Eugene , Oregon, Oregon

☆ World’s longest tunnel closes to train passengers after derailment
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Barry Neild | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

But the reduced capacity will mean re-routing passenger trains via a scenic railway that takes up to two hours longer until early 2024. It also completes a freight rail corridor between Rotterdam in the Netherlands and the Mediterranean Italian port of Genoa. Swiss rail investigators are currently trying to establish the cause of the accident in which no one was injured. “The Gotthard Base Tunnel is one of the safest in the world,” SBB CEO Vincent Ducrot told reporters on Wednesday. The teams deployed are doing everything they can to ensure that safe rail traffic through the Gotthard Base tunnel is possible again as quickly as possible.”

Persons: “, Vincent Ducrot Organizations: CNN, Rail, SBB, ” SBB Locations: Swiss, “, Europe, Erstfeld, Zurich, Milan, Italy, Rotterdam, Netherlands, Genoa, Gotthard

☆ Europe space chief warns over political wavering on climate
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"It just confirms that climate change is the biggest threat to our planet, to humankind, and will remain so for the next decades and we do need to do everything we can to mitigate the effects." Scientists say climate change is making heatwaves more frequent, intense and likely to happen across seasons, not just in what were regarded as the summer months. "Acting now is much cheaper than waiting for years and then patching up the damage that has been caused," he said when asked if he saw any signs of drift in Europe's climate agenda. FUNDING GAP AND 'GLOBAL BOILING'Aschbacher is among the most senior climate-monitoring officials to voice concerns over wavering support for measures to combat climate change - a creeping negative reaction that some climate activists have labelled "greenlash". This would significantly impact Europe’s commitment to combating climate change."

Persons: Josef Aschbacher, Aschbacher, Copernicus, Rishi Sunak, Ashbacher, Antonio Guterres, ESA's Copernicus, Tim Hepher, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Copernicus Sentinel, European Space Agency, Handout, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Meterological Organization, ESA, GAP, Sentinel, European Union, Negotiations, European Commission, EU, Britain's Department for Science, Innovation, Technology, Thomson Locations: Odemira, Alentejo, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Spain, Paris, Europe, Britain

☆ Foreign tourism to Portugal registers best-ever first half
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LISBON, Aug 14 (Reuters) - The number of foreign tourists visiting Portugal surpassed eight million in January-June, making it the best first half on record, official data showed on Monday. Tourism, a key driver of Portugal's economy, accounted for almost 15% of gross domestic product before the pandemic. Visitors from Britain made up the largest share of total arrivals in the first half, with over one million visitors, closely followed by the Spanish and U.S. markets. In June, the United States, which has significantly grown as a source of tourism to Portugal, represented the second-largest group of foreign visitors. ($1 = 0.9142 euros)Reporting by Patrícia Vicente Rua; Editing by Andrei Khalip and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Patrícia Vicente Rua, Andrei Khalip, Bernadette Baum Organizations: National Statistics Institute, Spanish, International Air Transport Association, Thomson Locations: LISBON, Portugal, Britain, U.S, United States, Southern Europe

☆ A frigid apocalypse doomed early humans in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/David Mdzinarishvili REUTERS/File PhotoAug 10 (Reuters) - Long before our species Homo sapiens trekked out of Africa, earlier human species also spread to other parts of the world. The frigid interval - comparable in intensity to the more recent ice ages - appears to have rendered Europe inhospitable for the bands of early human hunter-gatherers, as extreme glaciation deprived them of food resources. Fossils and stone tools indicate that Homo erectus established a foothold in Eurasia and later southern Europe relatively early in its history. The human species who subsequently colonized Europe proved more resilient amid persistent glacial conditions. "The study provides insights into the initial vulnerability of early human species to environmental changes and how eventually they adapted to increasing glacial climatic stress," Timmermann said.

Persons: David Lordkipanidze, David Mdzinarishvili, Chris Stringer, Stringer, Axel Timmermann, Chronis Tzedakis, erectus, Homo, sapiens, Timmermann, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Georgian Academy of Sciences, REUTERS, David Mdzinarishvili REUTERS, Pusan National University, University College London, Thomson Locations: Dmanisi, Tbilisi, Africa, Europe, Spain, London, South Korea, Eurasia, Georgia, Italy, Germany, Washington

International travel reached around 90% of pre-pandemic levels this year, according to the International Air Transport Association. Those trends lifted quarterly earnings of travel companies, with cruise operators like Royal Caribbean (RCL.N) reporting record results in recent weeks. Ticket prices, which in some cases have increased by double-digit percentages since the pandemic, are unlikely to plummet. She expects air fares on long-haul international routes to remain high until supply outpaces pre-pandemic levels, demand normalizes and jet fuel prices decline further. International inbound vs outbound in the U.S this yearAverage domestic airfare is currently $246 round-trip, down 8% from 2022, according to travel booking app Hopper.

Persons: Dan McKone, Amadeus, Jozsef Varadi, Hayley Berg, Hopper, that's, Glenn Fogel, Kathleen Oberg, Joanna Plucinska, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Doyinsola, David Gaffen, Matthew Lewis Organizations: International Air Transport Association, Consulting, Royal, Booking Holdings, Marriott, Lufthansa LHAG.DE, United Airlines, Wizz, Reuters, Holdings, International, U.S . National Travel, Tourism Office, British Airways, IAG, Thomson Locations: CHICAGO, Southern Europe, Britain, France, United States, Germany, Singapore, Royal Caribbean, Manila, Hong Kong, Taipei, Tokyo, Europe, Asia, COVID, U.S, Canada, London, Chicago, New York, Bengaluru

☆ Strong travel demand helps TUI swing back to profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

That was despite prices rising 7% over last year, indicating that the higher cost of travel wasn't dampening demand. In particular, the wildfires in Rhodes, Greece meant approximately 8,000 TUI customers had to leave their hotels, TUI said. The cost of that will be reflected in the full-year results and is expected to be close to 25 million euros. Ebel said that the Mediterranean region in Europe remained one of the top destinations for the tour group despite extreme weather. "The heatwave in Northern Europe in June and the wildfires in Southern Europe have only dampened temporarily the previously strong development," he said.

Persons: Borja Suarez, Sebastian Ebel, TUI, Ebel, Joanna Plucinska, Friederike Heine, Conor Humphries Organizations: Gran Canaria, REUTERS, Borja Suarez LONDON, Airlines, TUI, Thomson Locations: Puerto Rico, Gran, Spain, Europe, Rhodes, Greece, Northern Europe, Southern Europe

Factors such as cheaper airfares and weaker currencies in Scandinavia could play a role, but one of the world's biggest tour operators TUI (TUI1n.DE) said on Wednesday that climate change will also drive more tourists northbound. Tour operators in places like northern Norway also see an increased demand. This had resulted in more direct flight routes to Northern Norway being created, it said. Heather Storgaard, a Scottish tourist, planned her summer vacation this year in Denmark, with a stop in Northern Germany. Wissenbach is often in Italy due to work but said she preferred the north for holidays.

Persons: Sebastian Ebel, Ebel, TUI, Fabio Scaglione, Diego Bruno, Bruno, Heather Storgaard, we'd, Margit Wissenbach, Joanna Plucinska, Marie Mannes, Rachel More, Alberto Chiumento, Mark Potter, William Maclean Organizations: Mastercard, TUI's, Stockholm, Thomson Locations: Europe, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Scandinavia, Poland, Belgium, Greece, Rhodes, Northern Norway, Turin, Italy, Italian, Spain, Scottish, Northern Germany, France, Germany, Switzerland, Gothenburg, Wissenbach

☆ Spain roasts as summer's third heatwave peaks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] People queue in the sun outside Almudena Cathedral as they wait to enter the Royal Palace during the third heatwave of the summer in Madrid, Spain, August 8, 2023. The mercury could also rise to 40 C in the Basque Country in northeastern Spain, an area less accustomed to such high temperatures, the state weather agency AEMET said. Temperatures in some areas in the southern half of Spain remained above 27 C on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, AEMET spokesperson Ruben del Campo said. As Spain suffocates under high temperatures, ice on its mountains is melting. The melting sped up in 2021 and 2022, which were particularly warm years in Spain.

Persons: Susana Vera MADRID, AEMET, Ruben del Campo, Del Campo, Charlie Devereux, Inti Landauro, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Visitors, Prado, Tourists, Thomson Locations: Almudena, Madrid, Spain, Basque, Southern, sightseers, Europe, Catalonia

☆ Floods, Fires and Torrential Rains Further Bedevil Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Emma Bubola | More About Emma Bubola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Floods, fires and heavy rains have landed more blows across Europe this week, with the authorities on the continent scrambling to respond to the extreme weather that has become increasingly common in the past few years. Climate change has made extreme heat a fixture of the warmer months in Europe, but experts say that the continent has failed to significantly adapt to the hotter conditions. Governments in many countries are now struggling to address the devastating effects. “The extreme weather conditions across Europe continue to be of concern,” Roberta Metsola, the president of the European Parliament, wrote on Twitter. “The EU is showing solidarity with all those in need.”

Persons: ” Roberta Metsola Organizations: Twitter Locations: Europe, Southern Europe

ODEMIRA, Portugal, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Hundreds of firefighters scrambled on Tuesday to put out a blaze raging in southern Portugal that has scorched thousands of hectares of land and forced the precautionary evacuation of around 1,400 people. High temperatures and strong winds are complicating efforts to combat the flames, which have destroyed around 6,700 hectares of land. A total of 19 tiny villages, four tourist accommodations and a camping site have been evacuated out of precaution. [1/5]People watch a wildfire in Aljesur, Portugal, August 7, 2023. REUTERS/Pedro NunesSouthern European countries such as Portugal have been grappling with record-breaking temperatures during the peak summer tourist season, prompting authorities to warn of health risks.

Persons: Helder Guerreiro, Jose Ribeiro, Pedro Nunes, Patricia Gaspar, Catarina Demony, Miguel Pereira, Leslie Adler Organizations: Civil, REUTERS, Pedro Nunes Southern, Authorities, Thomson Locations: ODEMIRA, Portugal, Odemira, Alentejo, Algarve, Aljesur, Portuguese, Lisbon, Portugal's, Castelo Branco

☆ 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

During Greece's peak power demand this year, also on July 24, solar photovoltaics covered 3.5GW of the total 10.35GW demand, grid operator IPTO said. Even in cooler and less sunny western countries such as Belgium, solar energy has covered more than 100% of the extra energy needed during midday spikes in power demand. Analysts say a second factor has helped to keep Europe's energy systems running this summer: overall, power demand has been relatively low. That has been the case since Europe's energy crisis last year, when Russia cut gas deliveries to Europe. "The only reason why this has been bearable is the low power demand environment that we're currently in," Refinitiv's Gerl said.

Persons: Nicolas Economou, Kristian Ruby, Electrica, Nathalie Gerl, IPTO, Spain's, Refinitiv's Gerl, Simone Tagliapietra, Kate Abnett, Susanna Twidale, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Analysts, Energy, European Commission, SolarPower, Thomson Locations: Rhodes, Greece, Europe, BRUSSELS, LONDON, Spain, Ukraine, Catania, Etna, Sicily, Athens, Belgium, Russia

☆ Sweaty Europe can kill two birds with one pump
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Pamela Barbaglia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

What may be less immediately obvious is that heat pumps are the best way to do both. In Europe, currently only 16% of residential buildings use heat pumps, according to a study from the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) based on data from 21 countries including non-EU Britain and Norway, with 20 million heat pumps installed. On average buying and installing a heat pump could cost up to $13,000 compared to $2,500 for a gas boiler. Heat pump sales rose 35% in Italy last year, making it Europe’s second-biggest marketplace after France, EHPA data shows. To meet net-zero targets by 2030 EHPA estimates Europe would need 60 million more heat pumps installed by 2030.

Persons: Remo Casilli, Olaf Scholz’s, Joe Biden’s, António Guterres, George Hay, Oliver Taslic, Streisand Neto Organizations: Popolo, REUTERS, Remo Casilli LONDON, Reuters, International Energy Agency, IEA, European Union, Pump Association, Reuters Graphics, U.S . Energy Information Administration, Carrier, Mitsubishi Electric, Daikin Industries, El, El Corte Inglés, Thomson Locations: Italy, Rome, Europe, EU Britain, Norway, France, Germany, Poland, Brussels, Britain, United States, U.S, U.N, El Corte

☆ Portugal wildfire rages as strong winds and heat fan flames
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LISBON, Aug 5 (Reuters) - More than 1,100 firefighters and 14 water-carrying aircraft battled a wildfire in central Portugal's Castelo Branco area on Saturday as civil protection authorities said hot, windy conditions meant it could take days to put out. Smoke from the blaze, which has destroyed some 60 square km (23 square miles) of forest and undergrowth, reached the Fatima Sanctuary about 100 km (60 miles) away where hundreds of thousands of pilgrims gathered to see Pope Francis on Saturday. The Portuguese state weather agency forecast temperatures to reach 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Sunday in Castelo Branco, up from 38C on Saturday. August is usually the hottest month of the year in Portugal. Reporting by Andrei Khalip Editing by Helen PopperOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Pope Francis, Jody Rato, Andrei Khalip, Helen Popper Our Organizations: Saturday, Authorities, Civil, Thomson Locations: LISBON, Portugal's Castelo Branco, Fatima, Castelo Branco, Lisbon, Portugal, China, United States, Europe

People attend the "Stations of the Cross" procession at Parque Eduardo VII during Pope Francis' apostolic journey to Portugal on the occasion of the XXXVII World Youth Day, in Lisbon Portugal, August 4, 2023. Francis arrived in Lisbon on Wednesday for the week-long World Youth Day, a gathering of hundreds of thousands of Catholics that takes place every three years in a different city. World Youth Day participants were given what organisers have called the "pilgrim kit", which included a hat and a reusable water bottle. The weather agency IPMA issued a "red" alert for Lisbon between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. time (0900-1700 GMT) due to "persistence of extremely" high temperatures. IPMA said temperatures on Saturday could rise to 36 degrees Celsius and 38 degrees Celsius in Fatima and Lisbon, respectively.

Persons: Parque Eduardo VII, Pope Francis, Guglielmo Mangiapane LISBON, Francis, IPMA, Fatima, Jesus, Catarina Demony, Grant McCool Organizations: Parque, REUTERS, Parque Tejo, Thomson Locations: Portugal, Lisbon Portugal, Lisbon, Tejo, Fatima, Via, China, United States, Europe, Castelo Branco

☆ Climate change and El Niño have left parts of South America sweltering under a heat wave -- in the middle of winter
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Parts of South America are sweltering under abnormally hot temperatures – despite being in the depths of winter – as the combination of human-caused climate change and the arrival of El Niño feed into extreme winter heat. “This temperature is the highest recorded in this period in all of Chile,” a spokesperson for the Meteorological Directorate of Chile told CNN. Ivan Alvarado/ReutersIn Argentina, some places reached highs of 38 degrees Celsius (100.4), according to the country’s national meteorological service. This smashed the previous record for that day of 24.6 degrees Celsius (76.3 Fahrenheit) set in 1942. For comparison, New Orleans’ average high the first week of February is also 18 degrees Celsius, and the city has never been above 28.3 degrees Celsius in the first week of February.

Persons: Maximiliano Herrera, ” Herrara, ”, Maisa Rojas, Hace, Ayer, 🥵🌎, jcHZq7vL — Organizations: CNN, Northern Locations: South America, Chile, Argentina, America, Southern

☆ Extreme heat has cost the global economy $16 trillion on average, research shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The extreme heat is harming people's health and labor productivity. Newly available economic data and more advanced climate models now make it possible to measure how extreme heat hurts the global economy. "The economic costs of extreme heat do not encompass the totality of the economic costs of climate change," Mankin said. "Average temperatures are rising, so statistically, we are going to have more extreme heat in more places," he said. "What's unique about the extreme heat right now is the number of people it's impacting.

Persons: Justin Mankin, Mankin, Adrienne Arsht Organizations: Service, Dartmouth College, Rockefeller Foundation Resilience, CNN, European Union Locations: . Texas, Southern Europe, North Africa, Italy, Spain, Greece, Tunisia

☆ Activists cover Rishi Sunak’s mansion in black cloth after climbing onto the roof with ropes and ladders
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Martin Goillandeau Chris Liakos Laura Paddison | Martin Goillandeau | Chris Liakos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Climate activists draped black cloth over British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s private mansion in northern England on Thursday, in a protest against his policy to “max out” the UK’s oil and gas resources in the North Sea. Four demonstrators from the environmental group Greenpeace managed to climb onto the Conservative party leader’s manor house in his North Yorkshire constituency of Richmond early Thursday. They used ladders and climbing ropes to access the roof, where they unraveled 200 square meters of “oil-black fabric” to cover part of the mansion, Greenpeace said in a statement. Greenpeace said Sunak’s announcement is a blow to the UK’s environmental goals. “We desperately need our prime minister to be a climate leader, not a climate arsonist,” said Philip Evans, Greenpeace UK’s climate campaigner.

Persons: Rishi, Sunak, greenlighting Rosebank, “, ”, Philip Evans, ” Evans, Downing, Putin, Kirby Sigston Organizations: CNN —, British, ., Greenpeace, Conservative, Richmond, International Energy Agency, Downing Street, CNN, Downing, North Yorkshire Police Locations: England, North, North Yorkshire, Europe, Southeast Asia, greenlighting, Kirby

☆ Burned by the European heat, travelers are seeking new destinations this summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

'Scandi summer' trendInterest in visiting the Mediterranean dropped by 10% from June to November this year, according to data published by the European Travel Commission. watch nowA "Scandi summer" trend is evident among summer home renters too, according to Expedia Group. Shifts in SpainSpain is the most popular travel destination in the European Travel Commission's poll of more than 6,000 European travelers. A spring poll of more than 6,000 European travelers showed the No. 1 reason for choosing a travel destination was "pleasant weather conditions," according to the European Travel Commission.

Persons: Tom Marchant, Marchant, Evia, Will Vassilopoulos, Cynthia Nerangis, Peter Tomlinson, Tomlinson, InsureMyTrip, hasn't Organizations: CNBC, European Travel Commission, Expedia Group, Expedia, Costa de Cantabria, Afp, Getty, National Parks, Swiss, Istock, Travelers, LemonLime, CNBC Travel Locations: Europe, London, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Scandinavia, Swedish, Skane, Blekinge, Edinburgh, Scotland, Riga, Latvia, Tallinn, Estonia, Smaland, Tenerife, Rimini, Spain Spain, Costa Blanca, Costa Brava, Mallorca, Costa Verde, Costa de, Basque, Greece, Rhodes, Corfu, Lofoten, Croatian, Canada, U.S, Slovenia, Italy, Puglia, Sicily, North Africa, Austrian, Lucerne, Solden, Switzerland, Morocco, Marrakech, France, Athens, Crete

☆ Wild weather turns up heat on EU debt stragglers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Meanwhile, record-high temperatures and dryness triggered devastating blazes in Greece, forcing thousands to flee popular summer destinations such as Rhodes. The extreme weather may be limited to southern European countries, but its fiscal repercussions make this a Europe-wide emergency. Reuters GraphicsAgriculture accounts for just 4.4% of GDP in Greece, and less than 3% in Spain and Italy, according to Moody’s. Letting Greece, Italy and Spain deal with such climate nightmares, on top of other economic challenges, risks landing them with a Sisyphean task. As climate risks intensify, the EU will need to consider widening its joint borrowing plans.

Persons: Nicolas Economou CATANIA, Rhodes, heatwaves disproportionally, Francesco Guerrera, Oliver Taslic Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Cogeca, Reuters Graphics, European Environment Agency, Union, Copa Cogeca, Thomson Locations: Rhodes, Greece, Italy, Sicily, Europe, Spain, EU, Corfu

☆ Investors still see blue sky ahead for Europe travel stocks as boom abates
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Danilo Masoni | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"For many people, the pandemic is now over, and this is time now for travelling far from home," said Corinne Martin, fund manager at Ofi Invest in Paris. The point at which China announced the end of health restrictions in 2022 was probably the best moment to jump into travel stocks. They remain buyers, noting how at 11 times 2024 earnings, the stock displays an unjustified discount and prices no growth. "Now, vacation budget is no more a variable families adjust," said Jerome Schupp, fund manager at Prime Partners in Geneva. European travel and leisure earnings are seen rising 63% this year and 23% in 2024, according to Refinitiv Datastream.

Persons: Corinne Martin, Ofi's Martin, Martin, Goldman Sachs, Jerome Schupp, Schupp, Cristina Matti, Andrea Scauri, Lastminute, Refinitiv, Lucy Raitano, Conor Humphries Organizations: MILAN, Ofi Invest, Paris . Airlines, Royce, World Tourism Organization, China, Traders, Paris Olympics, UEFA European Football, Ryanair, Europe's, Prime Partners, Visa, Air, Thomson Locations: Paris, Europe, Germany, Geneva, Air France, Lemanik, London

☆ Opinion: The Donald Trump and Hunter Biden surprises
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

So it was remarkable Wednesday when the deal for Hunter Biden to plead guilty to two misdemeanors for his failure to pay taxes on time fell apart in a federal courtroom after the judge raised questions about it. Special counsel Jack Smith unexpectedly added a major allegation to the indictment charging former President Donald Trump with mishandling classified documents. The Trump and Hunter Biden developments underlined how America’s political climate is being shaped by what happens in the courts. This addition, an alleged surveillance tape conspiracy, almost reads like a spy novel.”“It features Trump employee and co-defendant Walt Nauta’s surprise clandestine trip to Florida. To W. James Antle III, it was the Hunter Biden plea deal snafu that brought to the forefront the “powerful split screen that drives” how Republican voters see the emerging 2024 presidential race.

Persons: Robert Burns, beasties, ”, Burns, aren’t, Hunter Biden, Jack Smith, Donald Trump, ” Smith, Trump, Dana Summers, Norman Eisen, Walt Nauta’s, Nauta, De Oliveira, De Oliveria, ’, ” Eisen, James Antle III, Hunter, Joe Biden’s, Maryellen Noreika, ” “ Noreika, couldn’t, Joe Biden, wasn’t, ” Bill Bramhall, Mitch McConnell, Sen, Dianne Feinstein, Julian Zelizer, “, ” “, Walt Handelsman, Elon Musk’s, Twitter “, Bill Carter, it’s, … Musk, —, Musk, ” Carter, Bill McGuire, ” McGuire, Mark Wolfe, Cassandra Lovejoy, Clay Jones, David Grusch, Jason Colavito, Colavito, Barbara Lee, Abigail E, Moore, ” Lee, Michael Bociurkiw, Odesa, Vladimir Putin’s, ” Bociurkiw, “ Handshakes, ” Netanyahu Israel’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, Frida Ghitis, Netanyahu, Drew Sheneman, Peniel, Joseph, Kamala Harris, Sophia A, Nicole Hemmer, Patrick T, Brown, David J, Skorton, Frank R, Lisa Benson, Barbie, Dean Obeidallah, ‘, GOP Sen, Ted Cruz, Mattel, Barbie —, Greta Gerwig’s, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling —, ” Obeidallah, Taylor Swift Taylor Swift, Swift, Barbra Streisand, Margaret H, Willison, O’Connor Sinéad O'Connor, Andrew Chin, Sinéad O’Connor, Sarah Gundle, Taylor, Sinead O’Connor’s, ” Don’t, Lawrence, Kara Alaimo, Jill Filipovic, Jeff Pearlman, He’s, Catherine Steenkeste, David A, Andelman, Mort Rosenblum, who’s, he’s, ” We’ll Organizations: CNN, Mar, Trump, Justice Department, Fox, Republicans, GOP, of Justice, New York Daily, Times, Twitter, SpaceX, World Meteorological Organization, University College London, Pentagon, “, Disney, Supreme, Agency, Education, African, Trinity, Warner Bros, Warner Bros ., Billboard, Machine, Vogue Theatre, International Herald Tribune Locations: Scottish, Florida, Bedminster, New, California, Rhodes, Corfu, Evia, Europe, United States, Odesa, Miami, York, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Israel’s, North America, Vancouver, Canada, White, Paris, Seine, gunpoint, ”

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