Firefighters continued to try to prevent a bushfire from reaching communities and a thick forest on the Greek island of Evia on Monday, after the flames destroyed hundreds of homes in seven days.
While most of the fires that ignited in the past two weeks have stabilised or receded in other parts of Greece, the situation on rugged and forested Evia was critical.
After the blaze approached one village after another in the north of the island, firefighters toiled until dawn to quench flames at Monokarya to protect the town of Istiaia, without the help of water-dousing aircraft, Ana reported.
On Monday, thick and suffocating smoke enveloped the coastal region of Pefki, where hundreds of villagers were taken to safety by boat and others regrouped, AFP reported.
Greece and neighbouring Turkey have been battling devastating fires for almost two weeks as the region suffers its worst heatwave in decades. Fires have caused two deaths in Greece and eight in Turkey, and dozens have been admitted to hospital.
While rain brought some respite from the blazes in Turkey at the weekend, Greece continued to suffer from an intense heatwave that Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said should show even doubters the harsh reality of climate change.
On Sunday, deputy minister for civil protection Nikos Hardalias said there was “another difficult night” ahead, with strong winds pushing a fire towards beach villages on Evia, north-east of Athens.
Of the 650 firefighters sent on the island – the second largest in Greece after Crete – 250 were from Serbia and Romania, supported by 11 planes and helicopters dousing flames with water during the day, the Greek firefighting services said.
But the air support faced “serious difficulties” because of turbulence, thick smoke and limited visibility, Mr Hardalias said.
Giorgos Kelaitzidis, Evia's deputy governor, echoed the concerns of many when he criticised the “insufficient forces” available to fight the fires while “the situation is critical” on the island.
At least 35,000 hectares of land and hundreds of homes had been burnt, he said.
Hundreds of people have already fled the island and another 349 were taken to safety early on Sunday, the coastguard said.
In Pefki village, young people carried older people over the sand onto a ferry.
Elsewhere, villagers joined in the battle against the flames, helping firefighters.
“We are in the hands of God,” Evia resident Yannis Selimis, 26, told AFP.
“The state is absent. If people leave, the villages will burn for sure.”
The situation looked better elsewhere, with officials saying fires in the south-western Peloponnese region and a suburb north of Athens had abated. A fire on Crete was also brought under control.
But Mr Hardalias said the risk of fires reigniting was heightened.
About 300 firefighters remained on the Peleponnese and rescue teams on Monday were still fighting flames at the foot of Mount Parnes, 30 kilometres north of Athens. These included units from Israel, Cyprus and France.
From July 29 to August 7, 56,655 hectares were burnt in Greece, the European Forest Fire Information System said. The average area burnt over the same period between 2008 and 2020 was 1,700 hectares.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
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Price: From Dh590,000
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
Personalities on the Plate: The Lives and Minds of Animals We Eat
Barbara J King, University of Chicago Press
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
MATCH INFO
RB Leipzig 2 (Klostermann 24', Schick 68')
Hertha Berlin 2 (Grujic 9', Piatek 82' pen)
Man of the match Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Avengers: Endgame
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin
4/5 stars
The five pillars of Islam
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