A big, round, 4,000-year-old stone building discovered on a Cretan hilltop is puzzling archaeologists and threatening to disrupt a major airport project on the Greek tourist island. Greece’s Culture Ministry said Tuesday that the structure is a “unique and extremely interesting find” from Crete’s Minoan civilization, famous for its sumptuous palaces, flamboyant art and enigmatic writing system. Resembling a huge car wheel from above, the ruins of the labyrinthine, 1,800-square-meter (19,000-square-foot) building came to light during a recent dig by archaeologists. The site was earmarked for a radar station to serve a new airport under construction near the town of Kastelli. Set to open in 2027, it’s projected to replace Greece’s second-biggest airport at Heraklion, and designed to h...
Read MoreDay: June 13, 2024
Fatima Brandao goes looking for her chickens in the backyard amidst a veil of smoke from the spreading fires that are engulfing the world's largest tropical wetland faster than ever before. "There never used to be smoke here. The sun shone clearly and the sky was always blue. Now the whole hill is on fire and smoke has clouded the entire area," she said. The Pantanal wetlands in central-western Brazil are home to a wide variety of animals, including jaguars, anacondas and giant anteaters. A drone view shows smoke from the fire rising into the air as trees burn amongst vegetation in the Pantanal, in Corumba, Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil, June 11. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino A shortfall of rain this year has caused the wildfire season to start earlier and become more intense th...
Read MoreGreece shut more ancient tourist sites in Athens on Thursday and elderly people took refuge at designated air-conditioned spots as the first heatwave of the summer persisted for a third day. The famous Acropolis, set on a rocky hill overlooking the capital, and other nearby tourist attractions were closed on Thursday afternoon as winds from North Africa pushed temperatures towards 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit). Tourists visit the Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis hill archaeological site before it closes due to a heatwave hitting Athens, Greece, June 13, 2024. REUTERS/Louiza Vradi Many primary schools and nurseries across the country were closed to protect students from the heat, which was expected to recede on Saturday. In Athens, tourists stopped at drinking ...
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