In a blackened, desolate orchard on the Greek island of Evia, Vaggelis Georgantzis walks to his last remaining pine tree.
“This is the last one I own,” he says, softly.
A plastic bag dangles from the bark collecting sticky resin, now crusty and dry from the heat of the fire that engulfed the surrounding trees. He says he’ll keep it as a memento.
Mr Georgantzis tears up. “We’re finished. I am finished. I’ll never be able to produce resin in my lifetime.”
Known as “retsini” locally, the resin is the lifeblood of this now devastated community. Used primarily as an ingredient in paint solvent and in wine production, the crop embodies the stark reality many on this island now face.
A single pine tree takes between 20 and 40 years to mature fully; only then can resin can be extracted. There are no shortcuts. It is hard to overstate the impact of this loss for the island.
Mr Georgantzis is head of the Resin Producers Association on Evia, representing 1,500 farmers. He says 800 of these farms were lost in the fire, representing close to three quarters of the island’s production. Beneath those farms is a complex and mature value chain, leading all the way to processing and export.
Resin exports are worth $15 million a year to the Greek economy, which accounts for 2.5 per cent of the global export market and 85 per cent of those exports come from Evia, Mr Georgantzis says.
But resin is not the only industry coming to terms with loss. So much value is given to Evia’s forest by locals, it is a source of pride and love, as well as an example of respect for natural resources. It seeps into almost every aspect of island life. Gaze over Evia’s charred hills and mountains you see devastated olive groves, fig trees and virgin forest.
Evia’s honey is renowned in Greece for its sweet pine aroma – it also accounts for 50 per cent of honey production. Bees in Evia had access to tens of thousands of hectares of pine trees. With more than 50,000 hectares ravaged by wildfires, that crop too has become greatly diminished.
Honey makers told CNN that 60 per cent of production has been destroyed. They will now have to move their bees to other parts of the country.
Locals say they have been living through hell during these fires. Firefighters speak of monster flames devouring everything in their path.
Not surprisingly, beach bars and cafeterias are devoid of tourists. Some owners have transformed their businesses into safe houses and supply bases, where volunteers still gather to co-ordinate firefighting and the monitoring of rekindles.
Food and other supplies, donated by unaffected locals and from other parts of Greece, have made their way to fire-affected areas and into the hands and mouths of emergency services.
One firefighter tells me he’s never seen this level of co-ordination by volunteers. “The food, water and help are something special and the people of Evia helped constantly. For the first time in the years I’ve been fighting wildfires, I’ve never had to worry about food or where to sleep in between shifts.”
Greece has as many as 6,000 islands, but only 150 are inhabited. People live in small villages, most of which rely on agriculture and tourism.
One business has a multiplier effect creating more demand; the value chains are intricate and fragile. A catastrophe of this scale, impacting multiple industries and requiring decades to recover, has knock-on effects wherever you look. Higher unemployment means less demand for everything from mechanics to hairdressers.
The Greek government has proposed a $600m relief package for Evia, but many young people already say they want to leave. “There’s nothing left, there’s no future,” one 30-year-old entrepreneur said. A mass exodus would be catastrophic to the island’s economy.
Mr Georgantzis says relief will need to be targeted and expertly distributed to ensure the best and quickest outcome to regrow the lost forest. He believes the only way to save his industry is to work with locals. “We know the forest and if we don’t take the right steps, we might end up waiting 100 years instead of 20.”
He doesn’t care why the help comes, as long as it arrives. He is sceptical that it will. Another island is still reeling from fires and floods, he says, after government promises of recovery aid failed to materialise.
“Even if politicians help us because they don’t want to lose political favour, that’s fine. As long as they don’t forget us,” he says. “We want signatures not promises.”
As men sit around the diner, or “kafenio|, in the village of Skepasti, some drinking their ouzo with their worry beads, or “komboloi”, in hand, they discuss what comes next. Many agree that the Mitsotakis administration has an opportunity here: to make Evia an example of how drawing on local experience and love for the land can be the winning formula for restoration and reforestation.
The men say they don’t want handouts so they can sit idle in the coffee shop; they want to be heard and included in their island’s future. Something they worry won’t happen.
“They can’t just parachute in experts,” one says. We know what to do and how to fix this. We are ready to rebuild, even if it takes a generation.”
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Napoleon
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Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
The biog
DOB: 25/12/92
Marital status: Single
Education: Post-graduate diploma in UAE Diplomacy and External Affairs at the Emirates Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: I love fencing, I used to fence at the MK Fencing Academy but I want to start again. I also love reading and writing
Lifelong goal: My dream is to be a state minister
Simran
Director Hansal Mehta
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Soham Shah, Esha Tiwari Pandey
Three stars
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The%20Specs%20
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
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Read more from Aya Iskandarani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 178hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 280Nm at 1,350-4,200rpm
Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh209,000
On sale: now
Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing
In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.
While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.
In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all).
“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”
Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.
"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
WWE Evolution results
- Trish Stratus and Lita beat Alicia Fox and Mickie James in a tag match
- Nia Jax won a battle royal, eliminating Ember Moon last to win
- Toni Storm beat Io Shirai to win the Mae Young Classic
- Natalya, Sasha Banks and Bayley beat The Riott Squad in a six-woman tag match
- Shayna Baszler won the NXT Women’s title by defeating Kairi Sane
- Becky Lynch retained the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair in a Last Woman Standing match
- Ronda Rousey retained the Raw Women’s title by beating Nikki Bella
