Good morning.
Wildfires in Greece were never uncommon but, in recent years, they have become an increasingly catastrophic problem. This year, they look set to be some of the worst the country has ever seen: firefighters have been trying to control 82 wildfires that have been burning for the last week, 64 of which started on Sunday during the hottest July weekend in 50 years in Greece (the mercury reached 45C in the central region of Thessaly). Recent analysis by scientists has shown that the human-caused climate crisis is undeniably to blame for the fatal heatwave that has hit Europe and many parts of the world, causing wildfires like the ones we have seen in Greece. And if nothing is done, the problem will only become more acute, with scientists predicting that if the world heats by 2C, these brutal heatwaves will happen every two to five years.
The popular island tourist destination of Rhodes has been worst affected, with videos posted online by terrified onlookers showing thick plumes of smoke and orange skies across the island. Elsewhere, fires also broke out on Evia, and the glow from the flames in Corfu were so strong they could be seen from across the water in Albania.
Greek authorities have said that 19,000 people – mostly tourists – have been evacuated from several locations on Rhodes, the biggest evacuation in the country’s history, and more than 100 houses and businesses have been severely damaged. Despite help from several other countries including the Czech Republic, France, Israel and Italy, Greece has been unable to control the fires.
Today’s newsletter is a rundown of what has been happening in Greece. That’s right after the headlines.
Five big stories
BBC | One of the BBC’s best-known journalists and newsreaders, George Alagiah, has died at the age of 67 after being diagnosed with bowel cancer nine years ago, his agent has said. Alagiah presented the News at Six for two decades after a lengthy career as a foreign correspondent.
Israel | Doctors are set to strike on Tuesday in protest against the passing of a key part of Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul, after thousands of protesters took to the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on Monday night.
Fire service | Female firefighters are being forced to strip down to their underwear in full view of their male colleagues and the wider public, in an “unnecessary, degrading practice” being enforced by an English brigade, the Fire Brigades Union has said.
Water industry | Thames Water has admitted it has failed to install a single smart water meter under a flagship £70m programme to fit hundreds of thousands of the devices to support the UK’s “green economic recovery” from Covid-19.
Strikes | Thousands of radiographers in England will strike today amid a row with the government over pay, recruitment and retention. Members of the Society of Radiographers (SoR) have voted to reject the 5% pay award offered by ministers and called for talks to reopen after other public sector workers, including junior doctors, were offered more.
In depth: ‘We are at war … The climate crisis is already here’
The cause of the fire in Rhodes has not yet been identified. Although authorities have suggested that arson is suspected, there is no doubt that the prolonged heatwave in Europe, caused by the climate crisis, and windy conditions have allowed the fires to spread as far and burn as long as they have. As temperatures continue to rise, we can expect more flammable landscapes to catch fire easily and stay that way for longer periods of time.
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A holiday turned nightmare
Despite the danger of the extreme heat and the ongoing wildfires, airlines including easyJet, Ryanair and British Airways are continuing to fly to Rhodes, even as authorities try to get tourists to safety away from the island. A senior conservative has accused travel firms still flying people to Rhodes of “profiteering”. Other airlines have cancelled all flights temporarily, but there is no indication that this will go on indefinitely.
The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Foreign Office to add Rhodes to its “red list” and to advise British nationals against all travel unless it is absolutely necessary – this would allow those with insurance to claim it for cancelled trips. The Foreign Office has encouraged British tourists who are there to follow the guidance set out by the local authorities, but has defended its decision to not discourage British tourists from going to Rhodes, saying that people are able to make “informed decisions”.
Meanwhile, holidaymakers have been sheltering in schools, leisure centres and hotels to get away from the inferno inching its way through the islands. Tourists have described the chaos and confusion as they tried to rush themselves and their loved ones to safety – one described getting caught up in the wildfires as a “near-death experience”. To make things easier for those who are stuck, Greece’s foreign ministry has said it will set up a help desk for tourists who are going back home and tour operators have ordered empty charter flights to land in Rhodes “to pick up travellers who wish to leave the island”.
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Allowing fires to rage
Almost a year ago exactly, the Guardian reported that Europe had endured a record amount of fire damage in 2022: over 515,000 hectares of land had been burned across countries in the EU, which is four times the average recorded since 2006. According to the European Forest Fire Information System, by 18 June this year more than 119,000 hectares of land had been burned. That was before the situation in Greece began.
Wildfires negatively impact the environment and the quality of life for people living near areas where they often break out. They pollute water resources; significantly decrease air quality; and destroy ecosystems through loss of vegetation. They also dampen tourism, which for countries like Greece can be really damaging for their economy (tourism accounts for 18% of its GDP and one in five jobs are in the industry).
Low-intensity fires that go out by themselves can actually be good for the environment by encouraging soil fertility. However the high intensity of the wildfires that we have been seeing across the world and most recently in Greece means trees and soil cannot recover anywhere near as quickly. If nothing is done, wildfires will increase by a third in the next 26 years, and will double by the end of the century, destroying places that are currently unaffected by these violent blazes.
As for the Greek government, it is aware of the scale of the problem it faces. Government experts are supposed to fly into Rhodes and other affected areas to evaluate the scale of the impact, in order to get the compensatory process going. The prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, told parliament yesterday: “For the next few weeks we must be on constant alert. We are at war, we will rebuild what we lost, we will compensate those who were hurt.” He added: “The climate crisis is already here, it will manifest itself everywhere in the Mediterranean with greater disasters.”
What else we’ve been reading
Low on seed money? Food grower and writer Claire Ratinon has written a very useful Guardian guide to gardening on the cheap. Hannah J Davies, deputy editor, newsletters
I hate running. It’s not a secret, I tell just about everyone I know. But what would happen if I put down the stopwatch and stopped caring about what other people see? Sam Pyrah digs into the “slow running” revolution, where people forget about personal bests and just enjoy fresh air, catch-ups with friends and stress reduction. Nimo
I loved Lucy Webster’s review of The Unique Boutique, a new Channel 4 show helping disabled people to find fashion tailored to their wants and needs. Hannah
Tracy Sorensen wrote a book inspired by her cancer diagnosis from almost a decade ago. As her book was about to come out, the cancer came back. Janine Israel speaks to Sorensen about how she has been navigating her real-life plot twist. Nimo
“Tokenism is no longer enough”: as British Vogue editor Edward Enninful prepares to step down early next year, the Guardian’s Jess Cartner-Morley looks at his effect on the magazine, and the wider fashion industry. Hannah
Sport
World Cup | Alexandra Popp’s double helped Germany ruin Morocco’s Women’s World Cup debut 6-0. Ary Borges scored a hat-trick on her own World Cup debut to help Brazil thrash debutants Panama 4-0 at the Hindmarsh Stadium in Adelaide. Substitute Cristiana Girelli’s 87th-minute header gave Italy a 1-0 win against Argentina, while an early penalty from Catalina Usme helped push Colombia to a 2-0 victory over South Korea.
Football | Trevor Francis, the former England forward and the first player to be transferred in Britain for £1m, has died at the age of 69. Francis had a distinguished career that started with his Birmingham City debut at 16 and included spells with Forest, Manchester City, Sampdoria, Atalanta and Rangers.
Cricket | England have named an unchanged side for the final, but questions remain over whether bowler Jimmy Anderson will play. The veteran, who will turn 41 on Sunday, has struggled to take wickets throughout the series, picking up four in three Tests at an average of 76.75.
The front pages
“Climate crisis link to heatwave fires undeniable, say scientists” – that’s our Guardian front-page lead today while the Daily Express has “Race to rescue Britons in Greek wildfires ‘nightmare’”. The Times says “30,000 left in holiday limbo after Rhodes fires” while the Daily Mirror has “Rhodes holiday terror … We ran for our lives”. “Knight of the Rhodes” – the Metro praises a British man who helped with evacuation efforts, and you might say there’s the reverse of the medal in the i: “‘Irresponsible’ airlines flew tourists into wildfire zone”. The Daily Mail goes undercover to allege “Lawyers charging up to £10,000 to make fake asylum claims”. Top story in the Financial Times is “Credit Suisse hit with $388mn fines for ‘significant failures’ in Archegos crash”, while the Daily Telegraph splashes with “Bank boss pressured to launch Farage leak inquiry”.
Today in Focus
The great British motorcycle scam – part two
In the concluding part of an investigation into Norton, Simon Goodley reports on a prestigious motorcycle brand that became a vehicle for a multimillion-pound pension fraud
Cartoon of the day | Betsy Hydes
The Upside
A bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad
Peeps Nicol entered her first powerlifting competition last year when she was 71. Nicol, who has multiple sclerosis, had thought that her triathlete husband, Brian, would look after her “when I got really disabled with MS”. That scenario changed when Brian was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He died in 2020, in Spain. After his death, Nicol (pictured above) returned to England and moved to Weston-super-Mare, near to one of her daughters. A chance advertisement for a local health centre in her new town led her to a trainer, who suggested resistance training.
Nicol was perhaps an unlikely powerlifter, but says: “There was something about the idea that appealed. The idea of becoming bigger and stronger, and being able to look after myself.” She spoke with writer Paula Cocozza for the series A new start after 60 describing herself as having previously been “really unfit”, and saying she was keen to see how far she could push a 70-something body. Turns out, quite a lot: Nicol can now deadlift 55kg and plans to enter the international powerlifting competition for her age group. Her training, though, has been about more than reps and weights on the bench press. “It has made an almighty difference to how I feel about myself,” she says. “I can look after myself.”
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