Illinois is the first state in America to pass a law protecting child influencers and

Listen to The Big Take podcast on iHeart, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Terminal. Despite declining birth rates and aging

Wildfires have raged across Greece for seven consecutive days, triggering large-scale evacuations, rescue flights for British tourists and warnings from officials that things may yet get worse. While the cause of the blazes has not officially been identified, local authorities have suggested at least some could have been the work of arsonists. But climate science and fire risk specialists say it’s undeniable that rising temperatures and prolonged heatwaves mean the fires in the Mediterranean country have spread faster and burned over larger areas. Why are the wildfires so severe in Greece? Over the past few weeks, forest fires have erupted in several parts of Europe – including Switzerland, Italy, Turkey, Croatia, and Spain – as a heatwave sweeps the continent. But Greece has been the worst hit. According to a government spokesperson, an average of 50 wildfires broke out daily for 12 consecutive days in July, with 64 recorded in one weekend. Dr Matthew Kasoar at Imperial College’s Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society told The Independent that the tinder-dry conditions would make it easier for them to spread. He said: “Fire risk increases rapidly when there are periods of prolonged hot weather, which allow the soil and vegetation to completely dry out.” “Climate change has increased the severity, frequency, and duration of heatwaves when they occur,” he added, as temperatures on the southern Greek mainland rose as high as 45C (113 degrees Fahrenheit) this month. “A lot of the wildfires we’re seeing in Greece have been in areas with shrubby vegetation,” climate science expert Dr Nigel Arnell said. A study by the University of Florida found that spot fires tend to spread further from their original fire perimeter in areas where woody plants such as shrubs and trees replace herbaceous plants like grasses. Is human-induced climate change responsible for the fires? Cambridge professor Adam Pellegrini, who is an expert in forest ecosystems and climate change, said that one of the best examples of anthropogenic, or human-caused climate change contributing to fire activity comes from the western United States. “A 2016 study looked at the area that was burned in a year in the western forests, as well as weather and aridity condition,” he explained. “The researchers ran a model that simulated climate with and without anthropogenic [greenhouse gas] emissions. “Under these climate simulations, which have uncertainties, they found there was a high likelihood that you wouldn’t see these fires that we see now, without climate change,” Dr Pellegrini continued. The study showed that human-induced climate change contributed to an additional 4.2 million hectares of forest being affected by fire during 1984–2015 – double the forest fire area expected without it. “That was done in the western US but those are the kinds of analyses that are required [for the wildfires in Europe]”, Dr Pellegrini said. “My guess is people will now be trying to do that.” An analysis by the World Weather Attribution network found that the recent heatwaves in Europe and the United States would have been “virtually impossible” without human-caused climate change. According to the study, climate change meant this year’s heatwave in Europe was 2.5C hotter. Are these extreme weather events preventable? The way to reduce the increase in heat and drought, and the frequency with which they occur, is stopping greenhouse gas emissions, Dr Pellegrini said, adding: “That is the number one way to do it.” Better ways to adapt and mitigate the damage from wildfires include controlled burns during a cooler, wetter time of the year. “That way you burn out the fuel for the fires, so if there’s a really hot and dry year, hopefully a forest fire won’t be as intense,” he added. Limitations include the high cost of controlled burns, as well as accessibility issues in remote areas such as Siberia, where forest fires have raged since last year. Another way to reduce fire risk is through animal grazing, Imperial College researcher Oliver Perkins explained. “In fire-prone regions of Spain, goat farmers are paid, not to produce food but, to reduce fire risk by grazing flammable vegetation.” Is there a threat of wildfires in the UK? Dr Kasoar warned that almost every region in the world is facing more intense and more frequent hot weather, and the UK is no exception. “We have seen record-breaking heat and fires in the south of the UK last summer, and with the country’s largest fires being recorded in the last few years,” he added. “Unless we stabilise global temperatures by reducing global emissions to net zero, wildfires will continue to become an ever more present risk here in the UK and across many other parts of the world. Read More Greece fires – live: Tourists in Rhodes and Corfu evacuated as Croatia also battles wildfires Where are the Italy wildfires as temperatures rise to 47.6C on Sicliy? Simon Calder on Greece: Latest travel advice for tourists as wildfires continue to ravage Rhodes and Corfu Where are the Italy wildfires as temperatures rise to 47.6C? Are Greece wildfires caused by climate change? Greece fires: Rhodes and Corfu tourists evacuated as Croatia also battles wildfires

Jennifer Lopez has admitted she always wants to look glamorous at night - even when she's asleep and credits a good lip balm with giving her a 'glossy finish' at the end of the day

Major League Soccer has announced the 2023 All-Star team that will take on Premier League club Arsenal on July 19.

Port workers in the province of British Columbia have voted to reject a mediated contract offer meant to end a labor dispute that stopped goods moving in and out of harbors, including at Canada’s busiest port in Vancouver

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 25, 2023--

Luz Encina, 94, sets out from San Antonio in Chile in a small, rented boat clutching a fistful of red flowers to cast into the Pacific Ocean, which she believes to be...

Kourtney Kardashian, 44, turned to Instagram on Tuesday (4 July) with a series of snaps alongside her friend, influencer Addison Rae, 22. The photos show the pair sporting matching bikinis and posing by the pool as The Kardashians star showed off her baby bump. Many people flocked to the post to compliment the two, with a handful of famous faces showing their love, including Spanish singer-songwriter Rosalia, Simon Huck and Rae herself. It didn't take long for harsh trolls to chime in with criticism and questions about their "weird" age-gap friendship. "Why is a 44-year-old friends with a 22-year-old?" one person asked. "This is just weird to me." Another wrote: "I swear to God, this is the most weirdest friendship." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter A third person believed the photo to be intentional after her sister Kim Kardashian accused her of having no friends. "Wait, Kourtney posts her long-lost friend days after Kim says she has no friends," they commented. Meanwhile, some jumped to her defence, with one writing: "People don’t understand that you can be way younger but be way more mature than half the people at Kourtney’s age. Love it." The pair first became friends in 2020 when Rae appeared in a TikTok video with the Poosh founder's son, Mason. Speaking about how their friendship came about, Rae explained: "I met Kourtney through a friend — through David [Dobrik] — and we had surprised Mason because Mason liked my videos on TikTok," "We got really close and we started working out together. We did a video on her YouTube of us doing a butt workout and stuff, so that was fun." Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

By Tom Balmforth and Sarah McFarlane LONDON (Reuters) -Russian military forces have been enhancing defensive positions in and around the

A Florida man who was exonerated after serving more than 16 years for a crime he did not commit has been shot and killed by a deputy in Georgia during a traffic stop, according to a news release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigations.

Polish President Andrzej Duda has said unexpectedly that he was proposing urgent amendments to a contentious law on Russian that he signed this week and that drew U.S. and European Union criticism