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All the latest on Greece: articles, analysis and ongoing coverage from Lost in the Jungle.
World
Wildfires have caused at least 23 injuries or hospitalizations in the UK and Croatia, while over 500 people have been evacuated in France and hundreds in Greece. In Stourbridge, one child and three firefighters were hospitalized. In the Landes, temperatures reached 41°C on Thursday. Near Omiš in Croatia, at least 19 people were injured, with two hospitalized.
Climate
A wildfire broke out in Kouvaras, southeast of Athens, on August 10, 2026, according to Le Monde. Strong winds are fanning the flames, and authorities have ordered the evacuation of the nearby village of Agios Stylianos. At least 172 firefighters and around 40 vehicles have been deployed. The fire follows several summer wildfires in Spain and France. Drought and heatwaves are creating conditions conducive to fires across southern Europe, while researchers say the annual risk is increasing in connection with human-caused climate change.
Climate
A forest fire burned over 4,000 hectares in Andalusia, southwest Spain, on August 8, 2026, driven by winds of 40 to 50 km/h. This summer, other European countries are also affected: 42,000 hectares have burned in southwest France, and Greece is experiencing vast wildfires. A new heat wave is forecast for France, Spain, and Italy starting the week of August 10. Researchers confirm that wildfire risk increases each year in connection with human-caused climate change.
World
A World Weather Attribution study published on July 31, 2026, concludes that human-caused climate change made weather conditions conducive to destructive wildfires at least 20 times more likely in Spain and at least twice as likely in France. Since early July 2026, wildfires across Europe have killed people, destroyed thousands of homes and forced more than 300,000 people to flee. Three firefighters died in Greece. Smoke caused pollution peaks of up to 20 times the acceptable threshold, with effects felt as far as 400 km from the fires.
Climate
A World Weather Attribution (WWA) study published on July 31, 2026 concludes that climate warming has made conditions conducive to wildfires at least 20 times more probable in Spain and at least twice as probable in France. Since early July, fires have killed people, destroyed thousands of homes, and forced over 300,000 to flee. Smoke caused pollution peaks 20 times above acceptable air quality thresholds, felt up to 400 km away. Three firefighters died in Greece. The UN climate chief calls for accelerating the transition from fossil fuels to renewables.
World
Mount Olympus in Greece and the Allied D-Day landing beaches in Normandy have joined UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The World Heritage Committee approved both inscriptions during its session in Busan, South Korea, Die Zeit reports. Greece’s highest mountain combines natural diversity with a central place in Greek mythology. The Normandy beaches were the site of the Allied offensive launched on June 6, 1944. The committee added 25 sites in 2026, bringing the World Heritage List to 1,273 cultural and natural properties across more than 170 countries.
World
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee is examining Greece's candidacy for Mount Olympus during its 48th session in Busan, South Korea, beginning July 26, 2026. Greece first submitted this application in 2014, citing the site's exceptional cultural and environmental significance. At 2,918 meters, Mount Olympus is Greece's highest mountain and the mythological home of the ancient Greek gods. The site attracts approximately 500,000 visitors annually, a figure rising sharply over the past decade. The committee's decision is expected before the session closes on July 29, 2026.
Business
The ambassadors of the 27 EU member states adopted the 21st sanctions package against Russia on July 23, 2026. To secure unanimous approval, the EU granted an exemption to Greece, allowing it to continue exporting Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) to third countries outside the EU after January 2027, under strict conditions. The package also targets 32 additional Russian banks, cryptocurrency companies and oil trading platforms, and freezes for one year adjustments to the mechanism designed to cap Russian oil revenues. The Greek exemption will be reviewed after one year.