Greek officials advise staying in with windows shut due to fires near Athens

Posted on August 11, 2024 by Admin

Whole neighbourhoods are being evacuated from around capital as firefighters mount huge effort to put out blazes

Greek authorities have warned people to stay indoors with their “windows closed” as hundreds of firefighters battled to contain blazes on the outskirts of Athens that were forcing the evacuation of entire communities.

Huge clouds of billowing smoke had by mid-afternoon on Sunday darkened the skies above the capital as 10 groups of “forest commandos” backed by water-bombing aircraft, helicopters and fire engines tried to douse flames fanned by gale-force winds. Volunteers had also joined the fight near the village of Varnava about 35km (21 miles) north of the city.

Thursday briefing: What’s behind Europe’s extreme heat – and the risks ahead

Posted on July 20, 2023 by Admin

In today’s newsletter: How countries have responded to record-breaking temperatures – and what it will take to change minds and policy

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Good morning.

When the temperature in Sicily is approaching 50C, you know something is wrong.

New Zealand | Two people died and six people were injured after a shooting at a building site in Auckland city centre, hours before the Women’s World Cup is due to start. The gunman was also dead. New Zealand’s PM, Chris Hipkins, said the World Cup would proceed as planned.

Politics | Almost 200,000 families living under Labour-run councils are affected by the two-child benefit cap, a Guardian analysis has revealed. Keir Starmer’s decision not to scrap the policy if Labour wins power has led to attacks from anti-poverty campaigners and disquiet from senior figures in the party.

Health | MPs have urged the government to introduce restrictions on the packaging and marketing of disposable vapes to tackle the “alarming trend” of children using these addictive products. The health and social care committee said there should be restrictions on how e-cigarettes are sold, in line with those applied to tobacco products.

Slavery | Caribbean countries are considering approaching the UN’s international court of justice for a legal opinion on demanding compensation from 10 European countries over slavery, as the fight for reparative justice is stepped up. Ralph Gonsalves, the current leader of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, said he is also looking for an apology from the British government and expressed disappointment in Rishi Sunak’s lack of engagement in the matter.

Strikes | A strike by train staff in the RMT union will severely affect rail services across Britain in the next week. About 20,000 RMT members at 14 train operators will strike for 24 hours on Thursday and again on Saturday, coinciding with the end of a week-long overtime ban by train drivers in the Aslef union. The 10 days of transport disruption will coincide with the peak summer holiday getaway weekend.

Heavy snow blankets Athens and Istanbul – in pictures

Posted on January 24, 2022 by Admin

A rare snowstorm has hit the capitals of Greece and Turkey, disrupting traffic, closing schools and coating the cities’ tourists sites in white

Snowstorm blankets eastern Mediterranean, closing airports, schools and vaccination centres

Greece: thousands of residents flee as wildfires reach outskirts of Athens – video

Posted on August 4, 2021 by Admin

Thousands of residents in the northern outskirts of Athens have been forced to leave their homes as a forest wildfire reached residential areas. The blaze sent a huge cloud of smoke over Athens and prompted multiple evacuations near Tatoi, 13 miles to the north.

It comes as Greece experiences the worst heatwave since 1987, according to local authorities. Temperatures have reached 42C in parts of the Greek capital