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☆ Will AI be an economic blessing or curse? History offers clues
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Mark John | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Backers of AI predict a productivity leap that will generate wealth and improve living standards. The productivity gains it was once lauded for have slowed across many economies. In a globalised economy, there are other reasons to doubt whether the potential gains of AI will be felt evenly. That is just one of several factors that will help determine how AI shapes our economic lives - from antitrust policies that ensure healthy competition among AI suppliers through to re-training of workforces. "The question is: will AI exacerbate existing inequalities or could it actually help us get back to something much fairer?"

Persons: Richard Erkhov, Yiannis, Simon Johnson, Johnson, Daron Acemoglu, jenny, Natixis, Stefano Scarpetta, MIT's Johnson, Mary Towers, Eva Mathews, Mark John, Catherine Evans Organizations: REUTERS, MIT Sloan School of Management, McKinsey, Hollywood, Reuters, Labour, Social Affairs, Economic Cooperation, Development, UN, POWER, Britain's Trades Union, OECD, Thomson Locations: Pascal, Nicosia, Cyprus, U.S, American, Paris, Bengaluru

☆ How — and when — Ukraine's war with Russia could end
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Wojciech Grzedzinski | Anadolu Agency | Getty ImagesThe war between Russia and Ukraine entered a new phase this summer when Kyiv launched its much-anticipated counteroffensive, and there were hopes Ukraine would regain the upper hand. "By the end of this year, both sides will think they still have more to gain by fighting. "Literally, they're [the Ukrainian forces] just running into the first line of defenses now, but that's a 30 kilometer deep belt of minefields and trenches and counter attacks. Meanwhile, any prospect of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine look slim despite efforts to bring both sides to the negotiating table. "One outcome is that this war is fought out because Ukraine gets the help to do it.

Persons: King Danylo, Wojciech Grzedzinski, It's, Richard Barrons, isn't, Barrons, Nick Reynolds, they've, you've, Jamie Shea, Shea, John Kirby Organizations: Mechanized Brigade, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Kyiv, Russian, Military, Joint Forces Command, CNBC, Ukrainian, Ukraine's Defense Ministry, Battalion, Territorial Defense, Ukrainian Air Force, NATO, Ukraine, U.S . National Security Locations: Ukrainian, Russia, Ukraine, Donetsk Oblast, Donetsk, Bakhmut, Berdyansk, Azov, London, Russian, Crimea, United States, Vilnius, Lithuania, China, India, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, U.S, Greece, Cyprus, North, South Korea

CNN —Hundreds of protesters gathered in Lebanon on Friday to mark the third anniversary of a devastating explosion that ripped through a port in Beirut, demanding accountability from officials over a disaster that remains shrouded in mystery. The incident at the Port of Beirut in the country’s capital was one of the world’s largest non-nuclear explosions. Relatives hold the pictures of some of those killed in the August 2020 Beirut port blast during a march marking the three-year anniversary of the disaster. He also launched a nationwide three-day mourning period for those affected by the blast. Grain silos damaged in the 2020 Beirut port blast.

Persons: Emilie Madi, Najib Mikati, ”, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Jean Yves Le Drian Organizations: CNN, Investigators, Reuters, United Nations, Reuters “ Public Locations: Lebanon, Beirut, Port, Cyprus, “ Lebanon, France

☆ The E.U.’s New ETIAS Entry Requirement Is Coming. Someday.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Christine Chung | More About Christine Chung | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But a new entry requirement called the European Travel Information and Authorization System, or ETIAS, is set to go into effect next year. First, ETIAS is not a visa, and it doesn’t guarantee entry. It’s a travel authorization to enter 30 European countries, including the 27-country Schengen Area, as well as Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus. The authorization is valid for three years or until the expiration of the traveler’s passport, whichever comes sooner. It grants a traveler entry to participating countries for up to 90 days in a 180-day period.

Organizations: European Union, Travel Locations: Europe, United States, Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus

Aug 1 (Reuters) - An obscure cloud service company has been providing state-sponsored hackers with internet services to spy on and extort their victims, a cybersecurity firm said in a report to be published on Tuesday. Researchers at Texas-based Halcyon said a company called Cloudzy had been leasing server space and reselling it to no fewer than 17 different state-sponsored hacking groups from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, India, Pakistan and Vietnam. Halcyon estimated that roughly half of Cloudzy’s business was malicious, including renting services to two ransomware groups. The cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which wasn’t involved in the research, said that it hadn’t seen state-sponsored hackers using Cloudzy. He said the company needed U.S. domicile to be able to register internet protocol addresses in America.

Persons: Halcyon, Cloudzy, Hannan Nozari, couldn’t, Nozari, ”, Ryan Golden, wasn’t, It’s, – CloudPeak, Sheridan –, Adam Meyers, “, Christopher Bing, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: LinkedIn, Reuters, ”, Nozari, CrowdStrike, Thomson Locations: Texas, China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Tehran, Nozari, Cyprus, U.S ., Wyoming, America, Sheridan

☆ Ancient treasures are being looted, but blockchain could help protect them
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Nadia Leigh-Hewitson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Now, some are suggesting blockchain could spare the blushes of those trading in ancient treasures and artifacts. Blockchain, the technology that underpins cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, is essentially a decentralized, immutable, publicly accessible digital ledger. Salsal allows a museum or collector to submit details about their collection using the web platform. People powerAnother blockchain based tool, called Kapu, was developed in Italy in 2017, but the tool has since gone offline. There is a small cost for collectors to use Salsal, but no more than a couple of dollars per collection.

Persons: Adel Khelifi, Mark Altaweel, ”, Khaled Desouki, Tasoula Hadjitofi, Hunter, Hadjitofi, Salsal, “ We’re, Altaweel Organizations: CNN, New York Met, University of Abu, University College London, UCL, Association, National Museum of, Getty Locations: Egypt, University of Abu Dhabi, Cairo, AFP, Famagusta, Cyprus, Netherlands, British, Hague, Italy

☆ Greece and Cyprus welcome EU bid to re-engage with Turkey, but urge caution
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis walk during a welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, Cyprus July 31, 2023. The division of Cyprus between its Greek and Turkish Cypriot populations, a source of friction between Greece and Turkey, has also been an impediment. Cyprus was divided after a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a Greek Cypriot coup engineered by the military junta then ruling Greece. It is represented in the EU by an internationally-recognised Greek Cypriot government. In recent years the Turkish Cypriot side has advocated a two-state settlement, rejected by Greek Cypriots.

Persons: Nikos Christodoulides, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Yiannis Kourtoglou, Mitsotakis, Christodoulides, Ersin Tatar, Michele Kambas, Conor Humphries Organizations: Cyprus, REUTERS, Monday, European Union, EU, Christodoulides, Cypriot, United Nations, Turkish Cypriot, Greek, Thomson Locations: Nicosia, Cyprus, Yiannis, Yiannis Kourtoglou NICOSIA, Greece, Turkey, Ankara, Turkish, EU, Cyprus's, Cypriot, Turkish Cypriot

☆ Strong gas business helps to cushion Eni profit fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Italian energy group Eni reported a 49% fall in its adjusted net profit in the second quarter because of weaker commodity prices but a strong performance from its gas business helped it to beat forecasts. Adjusted net profit in the period came in at 1.94 billion euros ($2.13 billion) down from a bumper result of 3.81 billion euros a year ago, but above an analyst consensus of 1.64 billion euros. Eni now expects the gas business to reach an adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) figure of between 2.7 billion and 3.0 billion euros for the year versus previous guidance of 2.0-2.2 billion euros. It also improved its full-year outlook for its low-carbon unit Plenitude and trimmed plans for capital expenditure this year to below 9 billion euros from a previous estimate of 9.2 billion euros. Group's expectation for adjusted EBIT for this year is confirmed at 12 billion euros even after taking into account a weaker oil and gas prices.

Organizations: Eni Locations: Cyprus, Nicosia, Ukraine

☆ South Africa’s stance on Russia puzzles many. Could a mine in the desert hold answers?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( David Mckenzie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Johannesburg, South Africa CNN —To many observers, South Africa’s stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine is puzzling. This week, while many African leaders stay away, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is attending a Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg along with key ministers. So, why is South Africa putting this important relationship at risk? The US had long treated South Africa with kid gloves, he said, mindful of not risking an important relationship. Officials have denied that anything was loaded up, but the claim is now subject to a sealed South African government inquiry.

Persons: South Africa CNN —, Cyril Ramaphosa, Viktor Vekselberg, Vladimir Putin, Byron Blunt, Chancellor House, Mogopodi Mokoena, Mokoena, UMK, ”, Karam Singh, Steven Gruzd, Reuben Brigety II, Brigety, Mikhail Metzel, Chancellor House’s, Putin, Yuri Trutnev, Konstantin Zavrazhin, Vekselberg, “, “ Mr Organizations: South Africa CNN, Russia, United Nations, Russian Navy, National Congress, Soviet Union, AmaBhungane, Investigative Journalism, CNN, Chancellor House Holdings, ANC, Mail & Guardian, Chancellor House, Corruption Watch, Chancellor, South African Institute of International Affairs, US, South, AP Mokoena, International Criminal Court, ICC, Getty, Treasury, FBI, Renova Group Locations: Johannesburg, South Africa, Ukraine, Africa, United States, Russian, Russia, St . Petersburg, States, St, Petersburg, Cape Town, African, Cape Town , South Africa, Mallorca, UMK, Cyprus, South

☆ ECB interest rate hike isn't enough to cool inflation in a timely manner, professor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailECB interest rate hike isn't enough to cool inflation in a timely manner, professor saysAthanasios Orphanides, professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management and former governor at the Central Bank of Cyprus, discusses the European Central Bank's 25-basis-point interest rate hike.

Persons: Athanasios Orphanides Organizations: MIT Sloan School of Management, Central Bank of Cyprus, Central

☆ A Russian oligarch who slammed Putin's invasion of Ukraine got taken off UK's sanctions list after he got Richard Branson to back him
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The UK on Wednesday lifted sanctions against Russian oligarch Oleg Tinkov. Virgin Group founder Richard Branson endorsed Tinkov's appeal against the sanctions. The UK on Wednesday lifted sanctions against Russian oligarch Oleg Tinkov, the British foreign office announced Thursday. The Russian businessman has been an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine. Tinkov's appeal against the UK's sanctions was endorsed by Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin Group empire, The Times media outlet reported on Monday.

Persons: Oleg Tinkov, Tinkov, Richard Branson, Vladimir Putin's, Branson, Tinkov hasn't, Corker Binning, David Corker Organizations: Virgin Group, Service, Bank, New York Times, Times, US, EU, Forbes, Tinkoff Bank Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, British, Russian, Cyprus, Tinkov

☆ Extreme heat in the Mediterranean could dent tourist bookings in future
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“This can be attributed to travelers seeking out less crowded destinations, and milder temperatures,” the association said. This summer’s extreme temperatures follow blistering heat last year. Meanwhile, online searches for northern European destinations increased by 3 percentage points to hit 10%. Southern Europe still popular with BritsDespite rocketing temperatures, countries in southern Europe are still the go-to spots for many vacationers. Spain, Greece and Turkey are still “by far the most popular [destinations],” he said, which hasn’t “changed at all.”— Barbie Latza Nadeau and Chris Liakos contributed reporting.

Persons: Angelos Tzortzinis, Olivier Ponti, ”, —, Johan Lundgren, Giuseppe Napolitano, Thomas Cook, Sean Tipton, hasn’t “, ” — Barbie Latza Nadeau, Chris Liakos Organizations: London CNN —, European Travel Commission, Tourism Council, Tourists, CNN, European Space Agency, ESA, British, Med Locations: London CNN — Spain, Italy, Europe, Brussels, Spain, France, Croatia, Greece, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Ireland, Denmark, Athens, United Kingdom, Rome, Nicosia, Cyprus, Catania, Sicily, Southern Europe, Turkey

☆ 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

☆ Erdogan says Putin talks could lead to restoring Black Sea grain deal, media report
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA, July 21 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said his planned talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin could lead to restoration of the Black Sea grain initiative, and called on Western countries to consider Russia's demands, Turkish broadcasters reported on Friday. "I believe that by thoroughly discussing the matter with President Putin, we can ensure the continuation of this humanitarian effort," Erdogan added. Western countries say Russia has had no trouble selling food, which is exempt from financial sanctions. "We are aware that President Putin also has certain expectations from Western countries, and it is crucial for these countries to take action in this regard," Erdogan said. "I believe that, without prolonging the process, we will ensure the continuation of the Black Sea grain initiative.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Erdogan, Putin, Huseyin Hayatsever, Daren Butler, Jason Neely, Peter Graff Organizations: United, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Turkish, Gulf, Cyprus, Russia, United Nations, Turkey, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Moscow

☆ Russia hits Ukraine's grain for fourth day, practises seizing ships
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Olena Harmash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Moscow has described the attacks as revenge for a Ukrainian strike on a Russian-built bridge to Crimea - the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014. Russia's defence ministry on Friday said its Black Sea fleet had practised firing rockets at "floating targets" and apprehending ships. The president of Turkey, which brokered the deal alongside the U.N. said, he hoped planned talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin could lead to the restoration of the initiative. Western leaders have accused Russia of seeking to loosen sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine, which already exempt exports of Russian food. Russian grain has moved freely through the Black Sea to market throughout the conflict and traders say Russia is pouring wheat onto the market.

Persons: Oleh Kiper, Vladimir Putin, Tayyip Erdogan, Putin, WAGNER, Russia's Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Yuriy Malashko, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Joe Biden's, Zelenskiy, Anna Pruchnicka, Philippa Fletcher, Peter Graff Organizations: Press Service, Operational Command, Ukrainian Armed Forces, NATO, Poland KYIV, UN, Washington, . Security, Ukraine, United, U.S, West, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Odesa region, Russia, Poland, Odesa, Moscow, Crimea, Ukrainian, Washington, Turkey, Gulf, Cyprus, POLAND, Polish, Belarus, People, Zaporizhzhia, Kostiantynivka, Donetsk, Iranian, United States, Russia's, Kyiv, KYIV

☆ Italy's doValue spells out cost savings from AI adoption
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, July 20 (Reuters) - Italy's biggest debt recovery firm doValue (DOVA.MI) expects the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in its non-performing loans (NPLs) repayment business to reduce its servicing costs by between 8% and 11% from next year. Exploiting AI will also increase by 4% the annual NPL recovery rate per asset manager, the group said in a statement on Thursday. Its new AI solution will be implemented in Spain in the third quarter of the year and in the rest of the group by the end of 2023, doValue told Reuters in an emailed comment. DoValue also said it had already fully implemented in Italy a search engine based on text mining which will save the company 35-40% of the time needed to recover soured loans. The firm manages about 120 billion euros of assets under management across Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Cyprus.

Persons: doValue, DoValue, Federica Urso, Keith Weir Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus

☆ EU ready to re-engage with Turkey, but sets conditions
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, July 20 (Reuters) - European Union foreign ministers agreed on Thursday that the bloc should re-engage with Turkey, but set some conditions and did not endorse Ankara's calls to revive its moribund membership bid. Turkey has been an official candidate to join the EU for 24 years, but accession talks have stalled since 2016 over the bloc's concerns about human rights violations and respect for the rule of law. "We discussed how to re-engage with Turkey," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a press conference after a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers in Brussels. "We are convinced there is a reciprocal interest to develop a stronger relationship between Turkey and the European Union." But he noted the EU wanted Turkey to show movement too, especially on the issue of EU member Cyprus, the northern part of which was invaded by Turkey in 1974 and has since been under occupation.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Josep Borrell, Borrell, Jan Strupczewski, Andrew Gray, Paul Simao Organizations: Union, EU, NATO, European Union, European Convention of Human, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Turkey, Turkish, EU, Brussels, Cyprus, Nations, Ankara

☆ Factbox: Europe sees another year of droughts and wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Last year, heat waves 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. **********CROATIAA bushfire near the coastal town of Sibenik quickly spread on July 13, fuelled by strong southerly winds. Emergency services were also dealing with fires on the island of Evia, east of Athens, and Aigio, southwest of Athens. RUSSIAIn central Russia's Urals region, in the small village of Shaidurikha near Yekaterinburg, wildfires spread on July 12 and caused significant damage.

Persons: BRGM, Rhodes, El, Dina Kartit, Gaëlle Sheehan, Piotr Lipiński, Alexandra Hudson, Milla Nissi Organizations: Firefighters, Flames, El Pais, Caldera, SWITZERLAND Swiss, Swiss, TURKEY, Directorate of Forestry, Thomson Locations: Europe, Sicily, CROATIA, Sibenik, Grebastica, FRANCE, Nouvelle, Aquitaine, Occitanie, Grand Est, Bouches, Du, Rhone, Corsica, France, GREECE, Corfu, Evia, Athens, Cyprus, Israel, Italy, ITALY, Calabria, Italian, Rome, Lazio, PORTUGAL Mainland Portugal, May, RUSSIA, Russia's, Shaidurikha, Yekaterinburg, SPAIN, La Palma, Spanish, Spain, Bitsch, Valais, Turkey's, Hatay, Mersin, Canakkale, Turkish

☆ Israel's workhorse Merkava tank could soon be refilling foreign arsenals depleted by the war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Israel may be about to export its workhorse Merkava tank for the first time. Israel isn't selling the newest version of the 45-year-old Merkava tank family, the Merkava 5, or even the Merkava 4, which is used in front-line Israeli armored units. An Israeli Merkava tank in the Negev desert in November 1997. Israel Defense Forces/Michael ShvadronThough Israel is small, home to less than 10 million people, it's one of the world's top 10 arms exporters. If Merkava tanks are sold overseas, they may yet end up on surprising battlefields.

Persons: Yair Koles, Israel isn't, Antoine GYORI, Merkava, Mark, Michael Shvadron, Israel —, Efraim Inbar, MENAHEM KAHANA, Recep Erdogan, Michael Peck Organizations: Israel, Service, Israel's Ministry of Defense, Haaretz, Cypriot, El, Getty, Israel Defense Forces, United Arab, Morocco —, US Army, Jerusalem Institute for Strategy, Security, Polisario, Iranian, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Israel, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Arab, European, Turkey, Cyprus, Morocco, Spanish, El Espanol, Israeli, Soviet, Lebanon, Israel's, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Algeria, AFP, Turkish, Russian, Europe, Eastern, Merkavas, Russia, Syria, Iran, North Korea, Forbes

☆ The Mediterranean 'island of cats' is facing disaster as 300,000 felines are estimated to have died from COVID, say animal advocates
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An outbreak of feline coronavirus is killing off cats on a Mediterranean island known for its strays. In Cyprus, it is estimated that there are as many cats as there are humans, and it issometimes called the 'island of cats.' But 300,000 have died after a coronavirus outbreak that causes feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), per media reports quoting Dinos Ayiomamitis of animal rights groups Cat Paws Cyprus and Cyprus Voice for Animals. A new strain of feline coronavirus, Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) -- which is not transmittable to humans -- is wreaking havoc on the cat population of Cyprus, known by some as the "island of cats." Veterinarian Kostis Larkou tends to a cat suffering from Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), at clinic in Nicosia on June 20, 2023.

Persons: issometimes, felines, Dinos, CHRISTINA ASSI, Ayiomamitis, Demetris Epaminondas, Kostis Larkou, Danièlle Gunn, Moore, Nicholas of Organizations: Service, Animals, Cornell University, Getty, Pancyprian Veterinary Association, Daily Mail, University of Edinburgh Locations: Wall, Silicon, Cyprus, Southern Europe, Nicosia, AFP, Lebanon, Turkey, Israel, St

☆ People are trashing a budget airline and saying it put them up in 'disgusting' cockroach-infested hotel rooms in Cyprus and Spain after their flights were canceled
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The UK-based budget airline canceled 1,700 flights between July and September, per Reuters. Disgruntled passengers stranded by a budget airline's flight cancellations are blasting the "disgusting" hotels the carrier put them in. Of the 90,000 flights scheduled for the rest of July and August, British budget airline EasyJet has canceled around 1,700 flights, predominantly from London's Gatwick airport, Reuters reported on Monday. Twitter user @angeldelight28 shared pictures of the hotel room she said EasyJet had put her up in after her flight to Liverpool was canceled, leaving her stranded in Larnaca, Cyprus. The pictures showed a barebones hotel room with unidentified stains over the patio and bathroom floors.

Persons: EasyJet, Clare, Zoe Wright, Mark Buntin, Insider's Hannah Towey, honeymoons Organizations: Morning, EasyJet, Reuters, Twitter, Liverpool, Daily, Sky News, Gatwick Locations: EasyJet, London's Gatwick, Larnaca, Cyprus, lanzarote, Bristol, Luton, Dalaman, Turkey, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Amsterdam's

ATHENS/ROME, July 13 (Reuters) - Southern Europe sweltered under a fierce heatwave on Thursday, with a warning that temperatures could hit record highs for the continent next week. Health authorities issued a top, red alert warning for 10 Italian cities for the next two days, including Rome, Florence, Bologna and Perugia. Weather forecasts and official records are based on the air temperature which is significantly lower than the land surface reading. The record European temperature of 48.8C was registered in Sicily in August 2021 and could be exceeded next week, according to the European Space Agency. "With this solitude and this heat emergency, we see an explosive mix," he told a press conference.

Persons: Europe's sweltering, Luca Lombroso, Marco Impagliazzo, It's, Michele Kambas, Pietro Lombardi, Emma Pinedo, Keith Weir, Crispian Balmer, Emelia Organizations: Italian Meteorological Society, Health, Agency's Sentinel, European Space Agency, Catholic, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, ROME, Southern Europe, Islands, Italy, Cyprus, Greece, Athens, Europe's, Lodi, Rome, Florence, Bologna, Perugia, Spain, Extremadura, Sicily

NATO allies, instead, agreed that Ukraine would join eventually, when "allies agree and conditions are met," their statement said but offered no details on when, if ever, Kyiv would meet such conditions. Before leaving the United States to attend the summit, Biden bypassed allies' concerns about approving cluster munitions for Ukraine to battle Russia. Most Republicans seeking to unseat Biden have largely kept silent about Biden's performance during the NATO summit, suggesting they see little to gain by criticizing him. Trump has long admired Russian President Vladimir Putin and has expressed skepticism of extended U.S. involvement in the Ukraine war; on Tuesday he criticized Biden's decision to send munitions to Ukraine. Haley on Tuesday criticized the NATO alliance and Biden for not committing to add Ukraine.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, we've, Donald Trump, Ivo Daalder, Daalder, Trump, Vladimir Putin, Biden's, Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, Haley, Steve Holland, Trevor Hunnicutt, Jonathan Landay, Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray, John Irish, Heather Timmons, Howard Goller Organizations: NATO, White, Atlantic, TRUMP, Trump, Republican, Democrat, Chicago Council, Global Affairs, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Europe, U.S, Ukraine, Lithuania, Sweden, Western, Vilnius, Kyiv, United States, Russia, Washington, Cyprus, Asia

☆ Leaders of Turkey and Greece vow to repair ties after year of tension
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis meets with Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan during a NATO leaders summit in Vilnius, Lithuania July 12, 2023. Dimitris Papamitsos/Greek Prime Minister's Office/Handout via REUTERSATHENS, July 12 (Reuters) - Greece and Turkey agreed on Wednesday to resume talks and confidence-building measures as they hailed a new "positive climate" in ties after more than a year of tensions between the historic foes. Relations improved when Greece became one of the first countries to send rescue workers to help pull survivors from the rubble after a devastating earthquake hit Turkey in February. "We are cautiously optimistic we can turn a new page," Mitsotakis told reporters after the summit. Reporting by Renee Maltezou; Additional reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever; Editing by Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Tayyip Erdogan, Dimitris Papamitsos, Erdogan, Mitsotakis, Renee Maltezou, Huseyin Hayatsever, Conor Humphries Organizations: NATO, Minister's, REUTERS, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Greek, Cooperation, Thomson Locations: Vilnius, Lithuania, REUTERS ATHENS, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, United States, Greek, Thessalonki

☆ Casino operator Melco eyes new markets with Cyprus resort launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Lawrence Ho, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Melco Resorts and Entertainment, speaks during a press conference at the City of Dreams Mediterranean, Europe's first integrated resort, outside Limassol, Cyprus July 11, 2023. REUTERS/Yiannis KourtoglouLIMASSOL, Cyprus July 11 (Reuters) - Asian casino operator Melco Resorts & Entertainment has launched an entertainment and gaming complex in Cyprus, marking its first foray into Europe as it seeks to tap new markets. The "City of Dreams Mediterranean" had total investment of more than 600 million euros ($659.46 million) making it one of the largest development projects of its kind undertaken in Cyprus. "City of Dreams Mediterranean ..allows Cyprus to unlock new markets in the region and beyond," said Lawrence Ho, chairman and CEO of Melco. Ho said Melco was now focused on fully developing the Cyprus project before considering whether to fan out to the rest of Europe.

Persons: Lawrence Ho, Ho, Melco, Michele Kambas, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Melco Resorts, Entertainment, REUTERS, Kourtoglou, Reuters, FIFA, Thomson Locations: Limassol, Cyprus, Kourtoglou LIMASSOL, Europe, Macau, Manila, Philippines, Israel, North Africa

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