Waking up to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore on the Isle of Sheppey, I couldn’t be happier about my weekend away with Franky – a Peugeot Boxer converted into a home on wheels.

With the doors of the van wide open, I propped myself up in bed with the sea breeze in my hair and gazed out over the cliffs where a rosy sunrise painted the horizon.

Britain’s van life movement has taken off in recent years and I was here to see what the fuss was about before potentially spending money on my own conversion.

Quirky Campers allows you to do just that, without any of the hard work or investment, by renting out bespoke campervans across the UK for two nights or more.

From the collection, I chose Franky – a two-berth camper with a modern and chic interior that instantly evokes a feeling of home the moment you step inside.

Inspired by owner Rebecca’s passion for beaches and winter mountains, not only does it look good but it’s extremely functional too.

After collecting the van from south London, I embarked on a road trip through Kent where I planned to stop for lunch at Blue Bell Hill in Aylesford on my 50-mile journey to Eastchurch on the Isle of Sheppey.

I then drove the 35 miles to Dering Wood, near Pluckley village, before heading another 20 miles to Whitstable before making the 60-mile journey back to south London.

Franky felt like a rolling Airbnb, with its stylish kitchenette equipped with everything you need to cook up a feast, from a dining set to pots and pans, a chopping board, and cooking utensils.

At the rear is a cosy dining area with a swing-out dining table that rotates out of the van.

I enjoyed using it to prepare food outside during my September road trip where the wild cliffs of Eastchurch and the magical woodland of Pluckley felt like my own private garden.

At the end of each day, I folded away the table, which formed the base of a full-size double bed, along with three additional planks stored under the seating area.

I was surprised at how comfortable it was and I was even able to leave the door ajar and fall asleep to the soothing sounds of the sea.

Other creative design elements I loved were a magnetic wall rack for metal coffee cups, Velcro curtains, a pop-out privacy screen to separate the driver compartment, and a compact indoor shower-come-drying closet, perfect for rainy days in nature.

Everything was neatly held in place when I was on the road thanks to non-slip mats inside the cupboards and magnets that kept the doors and drawers closed.

Parking up on my first night at the Isle of Sheppey’s Clifftop Camping site, I opened all the van doors to welcome in the countryside views.

The stunning clifftop is part of a family-run hay farm where I was able to buy beef and freshly laid eggs.

At night, it provided the perfect setting for a crackling open fire where I used a cast-iron casserole dish that comes with Franky to cook chargrilled vegetables and crispy lamb with tarragon.

This was followed by an evening of stargazing, using picnic chairs and blankets from the van.

The next day, I opened the van doors to miles of unspoiled forest at Dering Wood, a private forest on the edge of Pluckley village.

Here, I enjoyed waking up to birdsong and taking a morning stroll among the trickling streams and towering trees home to birds, badgers, bats, and deer.

Staying off-grid for a long weekend was possible thanks to Franky’s self-sufficient appliances.

The indoor shower and kitchen sink are fed by a 55-litre water tank and there is a 21-litre chemical toilet stored in the shower room.

What was even more useful was how the built-in electrical appliances are powered by a 190amp battery, 115w solar, and split relay charge that keeps you topped up when driving.

When additional power is needed for plug-in electrical devices, the van has a shore-line hook-up point for mains power enabling four three-pin household plugs.

I later took advantage of this at Hampton Bay Park, three miles from Whitstable, where I connected to the mains power supply and transformed the van into a home cinema with my Samsung Freestyle 2nd Gen portable projector.

Here, I saw first-hand the benefits of visiting a campsite with a mains power supply, a water tap, rubbish bins, a toilet waste disposal point, and an onsite restaurant.

While I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of van life, it did not come without its challenges.

My very first stop-off – a picnic site at Bluebell Hill in Aylesford – turned into disappointment when a height barrier prevented me from being able to enter the car park.

And another plan to park up along the seafront just outside of Whitstable was foiled when I was met by parking restrictions for overnight van parking.

In this way, renting somebody else’s van can become a game of trial an error, and I found staying organised is key.

Despite the hiccups, I thoroughly enjoyed my van life experience, which has spurred me on further to design my own camper.

By Stacy Liberatore For Dailymail.com

Published: 17:36 EDT, 11 September 2023 | Updated: 17:50 EDT, 11 September 2023

Crackdown on the ‘wild west’ cryptocurrency industry is delayed

By Leah Montebello

Updated: 17:01 EDT, 7 September 2023

Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence.

As the oldest person ever sworn in to the White House, President Joe Biden has faced questions and concerns over his mental as well as physical acuity since taking one one of the most stressful jobs in the world.

But aside from his advanced age, Biden, 79, has worried even supporters with numerous gaffes over the year he’s been in office.

JANUARY 24, 2022 – BIDEN CALLS PETER DOOCY A ‘STUPID SON OF A B*****’ 

‘You displayed this type of mood change during a cabinet meeting on when you apparently did not know your microphone was on after finishing your opening remarks, and you called a White House reporter a “stupid son of a b****”in response to a question asked on inflation,’ Jackson claimed.

He was referring to a hot mic moment in late January during which Biden criticized Fox News reporter Peter Doocy, after which the president personally apologized to the journalist. 

Biden has also been known to have trouble with the names of his most senior officials, foreign leaders and even countries. 

MARCH 8, 2022 – SLIPPING AND FORGETTING LLOYD AUSTIN’S NAME 

The president slipped up during the March 8 speech while trying to remember Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s name.

‘I want to thank Sec-, the former general, I keep calling him “General.” My – the guy who runs that outfit over there,’ Biden said, before quickly adding, ‘I want to make sure we thank the secretary for all he’s done.’

A trip to Texas that same month to visit a Houston-area vaccination center saw Biden apparently lose his train of thought and become confused. He even asked, ‘What am I doing here?’ while trying to get himself back on track.

On multiple occasions Biden has also appeared to refer to Vice President Kamala Harris as the ‘president.’ During a commencement speech at South Carolina State University in late December, Biden remarked: ‘Of course, President Harris is a proud Howard alum.’

He made the mistake again more recently, declaring during a voting rights speech in Georgia on January 11 that ‘President Harris and I stood on the United States Capitol.’

Biden has been known to get dates confused as well — in May 2021 he recalled traveling via Amtrak to see his mother while he was vice president in 2013. But his mother had died in 2010.

The apparent issues began long before Biden took the White House. When he was on the campaign trail in September 2020, then-candidate Biden was widely mocked for saying ‘200 million people have died’ from COVID-19 under Donald Trump’s watch. The number was around 200,000 at the time.

And while president, Biden had to be corrected on a statistic regarding COVID-19 vaccinations. During a COVID-19 White House press conference, Biden attempted to say, ’57… excuse me… 570… I don’t want to read it, I’m not sure I got the right number…’ Chief Medical Adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci aided him to say the figure was ’57 million.’

JUNE 18, 2022 – BIDEN FALLS DURING BIKE RIDE

Biden fell off his bike during a ride near his Rehoboth Beach home on June 18.

He had come over to say hello to a crowd that had gathered near the Gordon’s Pond State Park bike trail, with people yelling ‘Happy Father’s Day’ to the president. 

Upon trying to dismount the bike, his shoes caught and he fell over sideways, causing a mad scramble of Secret Service and press trying to help him up.   

Gasps rang out after the fall, which saw Biden stay on the ground for roughly 10 seconds, before being helped up by several Secret Service Agents, who immediately swarmed the downed Democrat.

Moments later, Biden was glad-handing the crowd – even bringing one woman out to meet first dog Commander, who was being walked nearby. 

Despite the tumble, the president did not appear to suffer any abrasions or cuts from the spill and the White House said he didn’t need to see a doctor after the incident.

Biden himself told reporters: ‘I’m good’ after the tumble. 

JULY 8, 2022 – BIDEN HAS ANOTHER RON BURGUNDY MOMENT

Republican strategist Greg Price mocked Biden on Twitter after yet another gaffe in which the president appeared to read speaking directions off of his teleprompter.

‘It is noteworthy that the percentage of women who register to vote and cast a ballot is consistently higher than the percentage of the men who do so. End of quote. Repeat the line,’ the president said during a White House speech Friday.

‘Women are not without electoral…or political power.’

Posting the clip on social media, Price compared it to Will Farrell’s Ron Burgundy being unable to deviate from the script on his teleprompter despite grammatical mistakes and obvious errors. 

Burgundy’s embarrassing on-air verbal incidents are a recurring gag throughout the movie.

Price posted a clip of Burgundy’s frustrated news crew and suggested the White House staffers behind-the-scenes were feeling similarly. 

But White House Assistant Press Secretary Emilie Simons challenged Price’s claim that Biden made a mistake.

‘No,’ Simons wrote, adding that Biden said ‘Let me repeat that line.’

 

CONFUSING LIBYA AND SYRIA 

Biden repeatedly confused Syria with Libya while discussing ways of working with Russia during a press conference at the G7 on June 13, 2021.

The 78-year-old gaffe machine spoke of working with Russian President Vladimir Putin to provide economic assistance to the people of Libya, prompting some confused glances from the press pack at the G7 summit in Cornwall, England.

‘I’m hopeful that we can find an accommodation where we can save the lives of people in — for example, in — in Libya,’ the president said, mentioning the north African country for the third time instead of Syria, which is in the Middle East. The White House later brushed the confusion off, confirming that the president was indeed referring to Syria, the country where Russia and the US have been involved in a decade-long civil war.

TRIPPING WHILE CLIMBING THE AIR FORCE ONE STAIRS 

On March 19, video captured Biden tripping up the stairs as he boarded Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews.

In the clip, Biden stumbles as he walks up the airstairs. He grabs the hand railing to catch his balance, but then loses his footing two additional times.

During the third stumble, he falls to his knees. However, after brushing off his leg, he reaches the top of the plane and gives a salute before disappearing inside.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre later told reporters that Biden was ‘100 percent fine’ and preparing for his trip in Atlanta.

‘It’s pretty windy outside. It’s very windy. I almost fell coming up the steps myself,’ she said.

Just one day earlier, Biden accidentally referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as ‘President Harris.’

The gaffe occurred during a press conference on March 18, during which he lauded his administration for being close to meeting their goal of 100 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in his first 100 days in office.

‘Now when President Harris and I took a virtual tour of a vaccination center in Arizona not long ago, one of the nurses on that, on that tour injecting people, giving vaccinations, said that each shot was like administering a dose of hope,’ Biden said.

Harris was standing behind Biden as the president carried on with his speech, but did not correct himself.

Later that day, when the White House released the transcript of his speech, Harris’s proper title was inserted with brackets.

In a speech on March 9, Biden seemed to fumble with his words and forget the name of his Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

‘I want to thank Sec – the former general – I keep calling him “General,”‘ Biden said.

‘My – the guy who runs that outfit over there. I want to make sure we thank the Secretary for all he’s done to try to implement what we’ve just talked about, and for recommending these two women for promotion.’ The slip-occurred despite the fact that just a few minutes earlier, he had mentioned Austin’s name in the speech without an issue.

During an Election Day speech in Philadelphia, Biden stumbled over his words and confused his granddaughter with his late son, Beau Biden.

Biden told the crowd: ‘I want to introduce you to two of my granddaughters…this is my son, Beau Biden who a lot of you helped elect to the Senate in Delaware.’

The commander-in-chief had meant to introduce the crowed to Natalie, Beau’s daughter, but hadn’t just mixed up the name but the person – he also put his arm around Finnegan Biden, Hunter’s daughter.

He finally corrected himself as he draped his arm around Natalie’s shoulder and said: ‘This is Natalie, this is Beau’s daughter.’

Beau Biden passed away in 2015 after a months-long battle with glioblastoma, one of the deadliest types of brain cancer.

TOLD STATE SENATOR IN WHEELCHAIR TO STAND UP

In 2008, Biden told then-Missouri state senator Chuck Graham to stand up for the crowd at a rally, before realizing he was in a wheelchair

Not all of Biden’s gaffes occurred in the 2020s or even the 2010s. In fact, some happened in the early aughts.

In September 2008, after Biden had been named former President Barack Obama’s running mate, he attended a campaign rally in Missouri.

It was there that he called on then-Missouri state senator Chuck Graham, who passed away last year. to stand up for the crowd.

‘I’m told Chuck Graham, state senator, is here. Stand up Chuck, let ’em see you,’ Biden said.

It was at that moment he realized Graham was in a wheelchair due to muscular dystrophy.

‘Oh, God love you. What am I talking about. I’ll tell you what, you’re making everybody else stand up, though, pal.’

According to the Columbia Tribune, Graham said he was never offended by the mistake.

Tens of thousands of wild horses face mass slaughter after mustangs breed too fast on the great plains

• Iconic horse of the American west threatens natural ecosystems
• Around 37, 000 mustangs roam the US ranges over ten states
• Another 50,000 held in temporary pastures 
  
• Officials say populations have hit a ‘critical mass’

By James Black

Published: 09:01 EDT, 28 December 2012 | Updated: 10:43 EDT, 28 December 2012

They are an icon of the American West and a symbol of the country’s frontier history, but now hundreds of mustang horses face slaughter due to overpopulation.

Under existing laws the government pays ranchers to take in thousands of these ‘wild’ horses a year in order to keep population numbers down. Mustangs are not an indigenous species to America and are known to have an adverse affect on natural ecosystems. 

The current system of managing these threats has been in place since 1971 but now rising feed costs has resulted in a growing number of American ranchers refusing to take on mustangs. 

Officials have warned that the government’s own holding pastures and short-term corrals are themselves reaching over capacity.

The result could mean that thousands of this treasured breed will be slaughtered in order to contain overpopulation.

Across ten western states in the US an estimated 37,000 wild horses and feral donkeys roam the ranges.

Officials say this is 11,000 more than the manageable population, and it is expected that figures will double every four years.

There are around 50,000 wild horses and donkeys currently held in temporary pastures, three times the amount held a decade ago.

Despite the crisis in overpopulation, and the known effects of wild hoses on natural habitats of other native animals, activists continue to battle with the government over its management of mustangs in particular.

To thin the populations of wild herds helicopters are used to chase mustangs into traps. Some campaigners think this is cruel and damaging to a species they think America should be protecting.

Suzanne Roy of the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign said that pregnant mares and foals are stampeded by helicopters over miles of rugged terrain. 

‘Helicopter’s aren’t discerning,’ she said. ‘They stampede the very old and the very young with the fit.’

Authorities have been accused of managing mustangs into extinction. However, only 99 out of the 11,000 gathered from the plains last year died. That’s less than 1%. 

Officials are now beginning to recognise that slaughter might be the only solution to contain the population.

Ms Roy denies this and she questions the wisdom surrounding the belief that America’s land cannot support mustang populations.

She claims that the legislation is weighted heavily in favour of the ranchers who need the land freed up for cattle. 

The problem could be better addressed through contraceptive measures using fertility drugs.

Tom Gorey, of the Bureau of Land Management, denied that this would provide an adequate alternative.

He said: ‘Logistically, [contraception] is very hard. It has not been demonstrated to be a magical solution.’

The US Congress has recognised the mustang as ‘ a living symbol of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West.’

The first Mustangs descended from Iberian horses brought to Mexico and Florida from Spain during the settlement of North America.

Most of these horses were of Andalusian, Arabian and Barb ancestry and were domesticated animals tamed for human use. 

This has led to a dispute over whterh it is entirely accurate to call the mustang ‘wild’ since it is the descendent of a domestic breed which is not native to the natural habitat.

Native Americans quickly adopted the horse as a primary means of transportation. They were also used in battles, trade, and hunts, particularly bison hunts.

Some environmentalist claim that the mustang should be classed as indigenous because there is evidence that horses roamed North America in per-historic times.

More than half of all Mustangs in North America are found in Nevada , with other significant populations in Montana, Wyoming and Oregon.

The government says that the total manageable population in the wild should be 26,000 a figure that is significantly lower than the reality.

‘We are reaching a critical mass,’ Tom Gorey added. ‘And we don’t see any instant solution.’

 

Their hopes of survival had looked slim after the traumatic start to their lives. But the orphaned baby elephants thrived and grew up strong thanks to their rescuer’s incredible love, care and attention.

So when the day came for Roxy Danckwerts to say goodbye to Bumi, Moyo and five others she has rehabilitated and raised at her elephant nursery, it was a bittersweet moment.

There were poignant final cuddles and pats on the trunk as she fought back tears before they set off to their new home 700 miles away.

At the same time, she knew it meant the elephants were finally taking one step closer to her dream of seeing them return to a life in the wild.

Miss Danckwerts accompanied them every inch of the way as they were transported from the nursery run by her charity Wild Is Life (WIL) in Harare, Zimbabwe, to a reserve on the southern African country’s western border.

It is a haven where they can learn to live independently, integrate with and eventually join established wild herds migrating through the area.

As these stunning photographs show, however, getting seven elephants — weighing a combined total of ten tons — there required a truly mammoth operation.

First, they had to be sedated by tranquilizer darts, then specialist teams monitored their breathing and heart rate before they were fitted with straps so they could be hoisted by their feet and lifted while hanging upside down — which experts agree is the simplest, easiest and quickest way — on to a flatbed truck by a crane.

Each was then driven on the truck to a ‘wake-up box’ where their sedation was reversed and they stood up, before being ushered into cages inside the 30-ton lorry which took them on the 17-hour journey to the Panda Masuie Forest Reserve, which is supported by International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

Bumi, a male aged three, was rescued when he was a month old in 2019. He had somehow got stuck among rocks and suffered severe sunburn in the searing heat. The Mail reported on his recovery at the time.

After arriving at his new home on the 85,000-acre reserve, Bumi is pictured below enjoying a refreshing drink of water, flanked by Unity, who arrived at the nursery in 2017 after her mother stopped producing milk due to a drought, and Sienna, rescued last year after being spotted alone aged 15 months and suffering from malnutrition.

Moyo, a female now aged nine, was the first elephant rescued by WIL. She was days old and only knee-high when she was found stranded in water in 2014 during heavy rains. It was suspected she had been washed away while trying to cross a river.

It is not known what happened to the orphans’ mothers. Elephant calves can end up alone due to poaching, getting separated from herds or predator attacks, as well as life-threatening accidents, the IFAW says.

All the elephants that come to her nursery have a special place in Miss Danckwerts’s heart.

But she and Moyo formed a very special bond.

Moyo began to regard her as her mother — and also grew up to be a comfort to the other orphans which arrived at the nursery after her, taking them under her trunk and helping them to recover from their own traumas.

Miss Danckwerts, 56, hopes the closeness between her former charges will help them settle into their new home and adapt to life away from her and her team.

As they set off for the reserve, she said: ‘It’s a really bittersweet moment. I’m so glad they’re returning to a proper life in the wild.

‘But I’ll miss them all. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster. They’ve come full circle. I’m proud, happy and sad.’

Miss Danckwerts has rescued dozens of baby elephants since she founded her nursery, the first of its kind in Zimbabwe.

This is the third group to be transported by IFAW and WIL to the release facility. Dedicated Miss Danckwerts’s work will now continue as more orphans arrive at her nursery.

Doubtless, there will be many more magical moments to come which neither she — nor, of course, the elephants — will ever forget. 

To support Wild Is Life-Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery and IFAW, visit wildislife.org and ifaw.org.

Europe’s summer of wild weather continued overnight as a German airport was flooded by ferocious rain and northern Italy was lashed by a thunderstorm… while a 40C heat dome moved in over Italy, Spain and southern France.

The weather on the continent in recent months has been characterised by a north-south divide, with southern Europe suffering from extreme heat as northern and central Europe is battered by powerful storms and deadly flooding.

German authorities said on Thursday that heavy rain led to dozens of flight cancellations at Frankfurt airport, the country’s busiest and a major European hub.

The storm swept over southwest Germany late Wednesday, dumping huge quantities of water and reportedly unleashing over 25,000 bolts of lightning in about an hour. 

The airport said large quantities of water accumulated on the tarmac Wednesday evening and ground handling was suspended for more than two hours, German news agency dpa reported.

Footage from the airport showed the runway was under a deep level of water, while other clips from inside a nearby building showed the water pouring in through broken windows and gaps in the door.

The water level was at least two feet high when shown up against the glass. 

Frankfurt Airport said it was forced to axe 90 flights while 23 more were rerouted to land at other airports. Some passengers slept on camp beds while many spent the night at the airport hotel.

‘Today, the situation will probably stabilise again,’ a spokesman told AFP.

‘There are still passengers here who need to be booked onto new flights.’

The fire service in Germany’s financial capital said they launched over 500 operations from late Wednesday to early Thursday related to the storm.

There were more than 350 instances of water flooding into buildings and 17 fallen trees, they said, adding off-duty personnel were called in to help.

In another video clip, water could be seen rushing down the stairs and an escalator and into the city’s subway system. 

The storm also affected other areas, with Gelsenkirchen, in the region North Rhine-Westphalia, hard hit.

Streets, cellars and lower-lying residential areas were rapidly flooded, while trees toppled over, hitting vehicles, the fire service said.

Emergency service workers rescued people from vehicles at several highway underpasses.

In one area, parked vehicles became submerged and some streets were only passable with inflatable boats.

Experts say that climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of floods.

Elsewhere in Italy, a violent storm hit the province of Turin on Wednesday night, with fire crews being called to downed trees and widespread flooding.

Nighttime footage showed the sky being lit up by flashes of lighting as rain poured down onto streets below in sheets.

This came days after a mountain mudslide sent water, soil and debris pouring into a town in the same region on Sunday.

Witness video showed a huge wave of dirt, water and debris toppling a gate and residents running away as the muck rushed down a city street. Other videos showed thick mud coursing through the river banks that pass through town.

Authorities said all residents of Bardonecchia had been accounted for. 

As parts of Germany and Italy experience flooding, southern Europe is bracing itself for yet another heatwave after all-time temperature records tumbled earlier this year.

From Thursday, a powerful heatwave is forecast to expand across western Europe, as well as towards central parts of the continent.

The weather formation forecast for the region is known as a heat dome, which sees hot air expanding up into the atmosphere before being pushed down by high pressure, causing the air to warm as it is compressed towards ground level.

The phenomenon has been likened to having a lid on a cooking pot.

Last week, a heatwave saw temperatures reach towards 47C, with Valencia smashing its all time highest temperature on record.

In Turkey, meanwhile, the country recorded 50C+ for the first time.

In the coming days, temperatures in parts of southern France and southern Italy are forecast to reach the low-40C mark, while ground temperatures could reach as high as 50C in south-Spain, according to weather tracking platform Ventusky.

High temperatures in Europe have brought wildfires with them. 

On Tuesday a blaze ravaged homes and holiday campsites in a British tourist hotspot in France, forcing the evacuation of 3,000 people. 

The blazing wildfires ripped through 500 hectares of land and saw thousands of terrified tourists flee for their lives from their holiday homes and campsites in the popular holiday region of Pyrenees-Orientales, southern France.

Britons have told how panicked families who had quickly packed their belongings and fled campsites in the commune of Saint-Andre in their cars became trapped in traffic jams after they realised they were in fact heading towards the quickly expanding flames of the wildfire. 

Zak Dhabalia, 55, a retired British hedge fund manager who lives in the nearby village of Sorede and saw the flames come perilously close to his home, said it was an ‘extraordinary and terrifying experience for us all’.

Dhabalia, who lives with his French wife Sylvie Dhabalia, told MailOnline it was ‘terrifying’ to see how quickly the wildfire spread across the vineyards towards the campsites which were gutted by the flames, adding that he could hear gas canisters exploding at the site.

Harrowing photographs showed the extent of the damage caused by the wildfires, with the gutted remains of homes seen in Saint-Andre. Cars were incinerated and a campsite was destroyed by the blaze. 

Bordering on Spain, the Pyrenees-Orientales region has been affected worse than any other French region by a devastating drought. 

Last week, firefighters battled another wildfire near the southwestern city of Bordeaux that forced around 8,000 people to flee their homes and holiday villas.

Authorities in Spain’s northern Basque Country region said France had stopped freight trucks from crossing the border at Irun due to the fire.

Elsewhere in Europe, Greece, Italy, Algeria and Tunisia combined lost more than 1,350 square kilometers (520 square miles) to blazes that affected 120,000 people in late July, according to European Union estimates.

Last week, a series of wildfires ripped through Portugal and neighbouring Spain as temperatures soared to over 44C, forcing the evacuation of thousands of holidaymakers from villages and campsites. 

The popular holiday island of Rhodes – known for its sparkling beeches and ancient Greek sites – was also ravaged by wildfires for 11 days last month. 

After thousands of people were evacuated during the height of travel season, Rhodes is weighing how the crisis will affect its vital tourism sector, which fuels most of its economy and some 20 per cent of Greece’s.

It’s the same for other Mediterranean destinations such as Italy and Spain, where the tourism sector is also being hit by heat waves and wildfires.

Climate scientists say heat waves are more intense, more frequent and longer because of climate change — and coupled with droughts have made wildfires harder to fight.

They say climate change will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive.

‘Climate change kills,’ Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said last month during a visit to the Extremadura region, the site of three major blazes. ‘It kills people, it kills our ecosystems and biodiversity.’ 

Wildfires raging through Europe this summer have so far burned the second-largest area on record, even though the region is only halfway through its typical fire season, according to data from the European Union’s Joint Research Centre. 

Southern European countries such as Portugal and Greece experience fires most summers, but hotter temperatures are pushing severe wildfire risk north, with Germany, Slovenia and the Czech Republic among those hit this season. 

In stark contrast to the wildfires seen in France, Spain, Greece, Croatia and southern Italy in recent weeks, northern Italy and Scandinavia have been hit by devastating floods and storms.

In the Italian town of Bardonecchia, near Turin in the Val di Susa valley, a ‘tsunami of mud’ crashed through the streets on Sunday, sending people fleeing for their lives. 

Dramatic video shows the churning river of mud forming a huge wave as it burst its banks and slammed into a street following heavy rain.

Horrified residents and tourists were sent running for their lives as the ‘mud tsunami’ smashed through a gate and sent debris flying towards them on Sunday evening.

Further video shows a thick wall of mud thundering down the river banks that pass through the Alpine town, blanketing cars with debris.

Rescuers desperately searched for five people believed to have been missing following the mudslide but authorities later said all residents had been accounted for and there were no victims. 

Italy has been faced with a series of deadly floods and storms in recent months, with 13 people killed in May after a devastating flood tore through homes in the popular holiday region of Emilia-Romagna. 

Desperate families, including young children and the elderly, had to clamber on to their roofs in the tourist hotspot as they waited anxiously for rescuers to reach them in helicopters.  

In the city of Cesena locals were forced to swim through the submerged streets, past sunken cars and floating furniture, to reach higher ground.

Last month, severe storms also battered the north of Italy, killing two woman and a 16-year-old girl scout. 

The overnight storm on July 25 saw roofs torn off and hundreds of trees uprooted in Milan. Roads were blocked and cars were smashed by the debris.

Two women were killed in the northern Monza and Brescia provinces after being crushed by falling trees, while a teenager was seriously injured when he was hit by a falling branch in the Veneto region.

In the area around nearby Brescia, a 16-year-old girl on a scout camp was killed when a tree fell on her tent, according to Italian news agencies. Firefighters evacuated the other members of the camp, taking them to a sports hall nearby, ANSA said. 

Tourist attractions also bore the brunt of the bad weather, as the Sforza Castle was shut after some tiles were brought down and rain was heavy enough to penetrate the glass-vaulted Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan’s famed shopping arcade. 

Elsewhere in Europe, a 135mph tornado toppled a construction crane in Switzerland last month, killing one person, while ripping roofs off buildings. Storms also lashed France and Germany with torrential rain flooding streets in Berlin. 

And last week, heavy rains triggered landslides and flooding across southern Norway and Sweden, forcing communities to evacuate.

The Norwegian dam at the Braskereidfoss hydroelectric power plant, on the Glåma, Norway’s longest and most voluminous river, burst on Wednesday after days of rain. 

It caused devastating floods, with footage showing wooden cabins floating down overflowing rivers. One clip shows a mobile home crashing into a bridge on Norway’s Hemsilar river.

People were seen standing on the bridge as they watched caravans being swept away, crashing into the bridge and being crushed under the weight.

By Stacy Liberatore For Dailymail.com

Published: 14:41 EDT, 16 August 2023 | Updated: 14:42 EDT, 16 August 2023

The tables have turned! Beachgoer chases off six wild boars on Marbella beach… after animals’ rampage antics give sunbathers the fright of their lives

By Olivia Jones and Gerard Couzens

Published: 11:44 EDT, 1 August 2023 | Updated: 12:22 EDT, 1 August 2023

Victorious campaigners have celebrated on Dartmoor after winning the right to pitch their tents once again.

Campers descended on the beauty spot last night to sing, dance and play their music instruments after appeal judges overturned a controversial ban imposed earlier this year.

A High Court judge had previously ruled that a nearly 40-year-old piece of legislation did not give people the right to pitch tents overnight on Dartmoor Commons without landowners’ permission.

Alexander and Diana Darwall brought the successful legal challenge against the Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA), claiming some campers cause problems to livestock and the environment.

The DNPA asked appeal judges to overturn Sir Julian Flaux’s decision earlier this month, arguing he had the wrong interpretation of a 1985 law over rights of access to Dartmoor Commons.

In a ruling on Monday, Sir Geoffrey Vos, Lord Justice Underhill and Lord Justice Newey granted the appeal, finding that the law ‘confers on members of the public the right to rest or sleep on the Dartmoor Commons, whether by day or night and whether in a tent or otherwise’ as long as byelaws are followed.

The decision was hailed by dozens of activists, who gathered on the site last night to celebrate.

Cat Howard from the Dartmoor Wild Camping Action Group told MailOnline: ‘This campaign captured the hearts of a lot of people from different backgrounds and really united them.

‘This is about the right to have access to wild spaces and a lot people understand how important it is to connect to that environment and do that responsibly.

‘If Covid taught us anything it’s how important being outside is for your mental health, so if you are just imposing a blanket ban, where does it stop? Are you then going to ban wild swimming and climbing?’

The landmark verdict has sparked further calls for a wider ‘right to roam’, with Labour expected to include the pledge in their manifesto for the next election.

Local MP Luke Pollard said: ‘It is now up to Parliament to guarantee a right to wild camp by extending the right to roam in law so cherished spaces like Dartmoor are protected for everyone.’

However, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) said that wild camping, discarded BBQs and litter are ‘increasing issues’ for farmers to deal with and warned a blanket approach to right to roam ‘will only make the issues worse’.

The Countryside Alliance also urged caution, as a spokesperson said: ‘Anyone exercising this right on Dartmoor Commons must do so responsibly, with full regard to the impact they are having on the land and those who manage it. 

‘There is a real risk of wildfires from irresponsible fires and the impact that littering can have on wildlife can be catastrophic. 

‘Fundamentally anyone wild camping on Dartmoor Commons must be considerate to the landscape, wildlife and land managers.’

John Howell is a landowner who has long raised concerns over the impact of such behaviour on the site.

He told ITV News: ‘They make a mess, they leave litter, excrement, toilet paper, broken glass, all sorts. It’s a disgusting mess and it’s been getting worse for about the last 20 years.’

However, Ms Howard suggested a blanket ban would still not prevent issues caused by troublemakers. 

‘Taking those rights away from people isn’t going to stop those who don’t camp responsibly and respectfully, they’re going to do it anyway,’ she said.

‘It’s equivalent of saying ‘some people drink-drive, so let’s ban everyone from driving’. It shouldn’t mean that everyone pays the price.

‘The next stage is about focusing on education, so people understand the environment they are in, and also enforcement, so the park can employ rangers to stop those not camping responsibly.’

In his ruling on Monday, Sir Geoffrey said the ‘critical question’ was whether wild camping could be considered a form of ‘open-air recreation’, finding it was.

He said: ‘The fact that a tent is closed rather than open cannot convert the wild camping from being an open-air recreation into not being one.

‘In my judgment, that walker is still resting by sleeping and undertaking an essential part of the recreation.’

Lord Justice Underhill, who agreed with Sir Geoffrey, added the byelaws ‘provide a workable structure whereby a proper balance can be preserved between the rights of those accessing the commons and the rights of the owners of the land and others’.

He added: ‘Many people take pleasure in the experience of sleeping in a tent in open country, typically, though not invariably, as part of a wider experience of walking across country, and perhaps engaging in other open-air recreations such as birdwatching, during the day.

‘It is a perfectly natural use of language to describe that as a recreation, and also as occurring in the open air notwithstanding that while the camper is actually in the tent the outside air will be to some extent excluded.’

Sir Julian had previously found that the meaning of the legislation was ‘clear and unambiguous’ in that it conferred a ‘right to roam’ which did not include ‘a right to wild camp without permission’.

His now-overturned judgment was labelled a ‘huge step backward’ by campaigners, who said there was a ‘long-established precedent’ of wild camping in the national park in Devon.

The DNPA’s chairwoman, Pamela Woods, said the organisation was ‘delighted’ with Monday’s appeal decision, with DNPA’s chief executive Kevin Bishop saying the ruling is ‘a re-affirmation of the right to backpack camp on Dartmoor and secures that right for today and future generations’.

He added: ‘Our sincere hope is that this judgment means we can now move forward, in partnership, with a focus on making sure Dartmoor remains a special place for all to enjoy.’

The ruling was also welcomed by the Open Spaces Society, which intervened in the case.

Its general secretary Kate Ashbrook said: ‘This is an excellent outcome. We are relieved that the judges ruled unanimously and conclusively that open-air recreation includes backpack camping on the commons.’

She added: ‘Following this judgment, Dartmoor remains one of only a handful of places in England where there is a right to backpack camping without the landowner’s permission.

‘We should like to see that right extended and we shall campaign with other organisations to achieve this.’

Tom Backhouse, founder of CampWild: ‘The Court of Appeal ruling marks a momentous and positive outcome, having granted the right to backpack camp on Dartmoor commons – restoring the sacred tradition that has been a part of our heritage for generations.

‘While I understand that the right to camp or access private land without permission is not legally protected in other regions of England and Wales, as it now is on the commons of Dartmoor, I want to enable access to the same incredible experiences that I have had by unlocking access to private locations.

‘My mission is to establish a network of Wild Spaces, serving as a bridge between landowners and the public and scaling responsible access to remote, tranquil and largely undiscovered pockets of our country.

‘I believe that nature’s beauty should be within reach of all of us, and via CampWild, I reaffirm our commitment to creating a country where everyone can connect with the wild, while fostering a deep appreciation for our environment and a profound sense of stewardship for the natural world.’

Liberal Democrat MP Richard Foord, who represents the Tiverton and Honiton constituency, added: ‘This landmark ruling proves what we’ve known all along, that our national parks and green spaces are not the personal fiefdom of a small number of wealthy landowners.

‘People here in the West Country have enjoyed the right to wild camp on Dartmoor for decades, and I’m glad to see this right restored.

‘But we cannot allow this to ever happen again – that’s why we need to change the law to enshrine our right to respectfully Wild camp on Dartmoor in law.

‘I’ve already tabled a bill to do this in Parliament and will continue to fight to protect public access to our national parks.’

Dartmoor National Park, designated in 1951, covers a 368-square mile area that features ‘commons’ – areas of unenclosed privately owned moorland where locals can put livestock.

The DNPA previously said backpack campers can access nearly 52,000 acres of common land across the national park and can stay overnight under a new ‘permissive system’ as long as they follow a code of conduct.