Latest news with #MicheleKambas
The Star
09-08-2025
- Climate
- The Star
Greece wildfire contained but strong winds prompt evacuations
ATHENS (Reuters) -A wildfire on the outskirts of Athens was contained on Saturday morning, but evacuations of at-risk areas continued as strong winds were expected through the weekend. At least one person died and homes and farmlands were destroyed on Friday as wildfires stoked by gale-force winds broke out across Greece, from near the capital to regions around the historical site of Ancient Olympia. The worst blaze broke out in the small town of Keratea, southwest of the capital, where firefighters discovered the body of an elderly man in a burned-out structure. A fire brigade spokesperson said on Saturday the fire there was under control but not out. Greece and other Mediterranean countries are in an area dubbed "a wildfire hot spot" by scientists, with blazes common during hot and dry summers. These have become more destructive in recent years due to a fast-changing climate, prompting calls for a new approach. Much of the region around Athens has had barely a drop of rain in months. Wind gusts of up to 80 kph (50 mph) fanned the flames around Keratea on Friday, setting olive orchards alight. Homes were engulfed as locals wearing flimsy face masks assisted firefighters. Police went door to door late at night making sure that homes had been evacuated. Much of the area smouldered on Saturday morning, and images on local media showed houses gutted by fire. Other blazes in the region of Ancient Olympia and on the touristy island of Kefalonia appeared to have abated also. (Reporting by Edward McAllister, Michele Kambas and Vania Turner; Editing by William Mallard)
The Star
23-07-2025
- Climate
- The Star
Cyprus struggles to contain wildfire, homes damaged
NICOSIA (Reuters) -Firefighters in Cyprus were battling on Wednesday to contain a huge wildfire forcing the evacuation of at least four villages on the first day of a heatwave which sent temperatures soaring. Authorities said the fire was raging in terrain north of the southern city of Limassol, stoked by strong winds and high temperatures. "I can confirm that there is considerable damage to some dwellings," fire brigade spokesperson Andreas Kettis told Cyprus's state broadcaster CyBC. He said 14 aircraft and workers on the ground were trying to extinguish the blaze, which broke out around midday on Wednesday. Temperatures on the east Mediterranean island hit 43 degrees Celsius (109.4 degrees Fahrenheit) inland on Wednesday, forcing authorities to issue an amber weather warning. It was expected to climb further to 44 C on Thursday, making it the hottest day of the year. Although heatwaves and forest fires are common, the impact on human life and the damage have become more pronounced in recent years. Four men from Egypt died in a fire in 2021. (Writing by Michele Kambas;Editing by Alison Williams)
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cyprus court jails Hungarians brokering property sales in Turkish-held north
NICOSIA (Reuters) - A court in Cyprus sentenced two Hungarian nationals to prison on Friday for brokering sales of properties in the Turkish-held north of the island seized from fleeing Greek Cypriots in a 1974 war. The two women were convicted of advertising and finding buyers for coastal properties without the consent of the registered owners in the territory, which is a Turkish Cypriot state recognised only by Turkey. Friday's verdict, likely to draw the ire of Turkish Cypriots, highlights the complexity and sensitivity over territory in Cyprus, where thousands of people lost property and homes from internal displacement and a 1974 Turkish invasion triggered by a brief Greek-inspired coup. Those properties have since been re-distributed, and bought and sold many times. The territory has recently seen a surge in high-end investment. Cyprus's Criminal Court passed down sentencing of 2.5 years and 15 months jail to the two women, the semi-official Cyprus News Agency (CNA) reported. They had pleaded guilty to a number of charges, and prosecutors suspended others. The court is based in the southern part of Cyprus run by its internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government. The women were arrested late last year after arriving in the south. Greek Cypriot authorities have increasingly pursued legal action against foreign nationals investing in disputed properties in north Cyprus in recent years, and the issue is known to have caused friction in attempts to relaunch peace talks. Two other cases are pending before the courts. (Writing by Michele Kambas; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Yahoo
Cyprus should have investigated UK woman's gang rape claim, European Human Rights Court rules
(Reuters) - Cyprus failed in its legal duty to investigate a British woman's allegation in 2019 that she had been gang-raped by Israeli tourists on the holiday island, the European Court of Human Rights said on Thursday. The woman, who was 18 at the time and is identified in court documents as "X", reported being raped by Israeli youths in July 2019 in the resort of Ayia Napa. However, after hours of police interrogation without legal representation, she retracted her statement - which she later said she had done under duress. She was charged with "public mischief" and handed a suspended jail sentence. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. In its ruling, the ECHR agreed with "X" that Cyprus had breached its obligations to effectively investigate and prosecute her allegations. After her retraction, the youths were released from detention and returned home without facing further legal action. Some said they had had consensual sex with "X" but all denied rape. In January 2022, Cyprus's Supreme Court overturned the woman's conviction, upholding her assertion that she had retracted her allegation under pressure, casting a harsh light on Cypriot practices in investigating sexual abuse. Despite that ruling, Cyprus's attorney-general declined to reopen an investigation into her original complaint, her lawyers said. (Writing by Michele Kambas; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Retired hens revitalise Cyprus olive groves
By Michele Kambas AKAKI, Cyprus (Reuters) - Organic farmers in Cyprus have recruited hundreds of retired hens to fertilize olive groves in a pilot project they say boosts yields, counters disease, and helps to manage food waste. Saved from slaughter after their egg-laying years, hens peck and poop to their hearts' content among olive trees at the organically certified Akaki Grove, on the green foothills of the Troodos mountains west of Nicosia. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. In a back-to-basics approach, farmer and grove owner Elena Christoforos and soil engineer Nicolas Netien have launched the Kot-Kot project. They collect food waste donations to feed hens, which in turn provide natural fertilizer for olive trees producing oil high in inflammation-busting polyphenols. "We provide them with an old hens' home, they come here and retire," said Christoforos, surrounded by clucking chickens while emptying bins of food waste donated by schoolchildren. Hens reduce the presence of pests such as olive fly, a scourge for olive farmers in the Mediterranean, by pecking at larvae while simultaneously clearing surface weed cover. Their droppings enrich the soil, and feeding them with food waste reduces the amount of methane-producing organic matter going into landfill. The hens can enjoy a long retirement among the olive trees, living for 8-10 years despite only laying eggs until the age of 2. "The goal here is to create a biodiverse, self-sustained ecosystem that can sustain really high temperatures and long droughts. So when I bring animals into the system by eating ground cover and pooping, it speeds up the cycle," Netien said. Netien, who holds the world record for producing olive oil with the highest polyphenol content, said olive tree growth and yields had improved markedly since the hens arrived.
