How could anyone think that when the US government is launching a global trade war this month? When Israel is preparing a three- or four-year military occupation of Gaza? Or when Russia is clearly wondering why on earth it had to launch that stupid “special operation” and get itself mixed up in a war with Ukraine?

I mean, if that’s not news, what is?

And I’d hazard a guess that even Umberto Eco—the supposed originator of the phrase “there is no news in August”—wouldn’t have described the summer inactivity on the OPEKEPE agricultural subsidies front as an absence of news.

That said, August may produce less “news” in the current sense of the word, but it does tend to host a lot of the world’s big events.

For illustrative purposes only: The First World War began in August, in 1914. August saw the end of World War II with the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. It was in August the Soviets entered Czechoslovakia in 1968. August was the month in which President Nixon resigned over Watergate, in 1974.

And it was in August that same year the Colonels were ousted in Greece and democracy restored.

Now that’s what I call news!

On the other hand, of course, the reader and the populace in stay abreast of the August news in the relaxed atmosphere of the holiday season. From a certain distance, calmly and collectedly with the cool-headedness of summer.

Truth be told, there are many (the undersigned included) who would prefer to see that cool-headedness extended to the rest of the year—without, of course, doing away with, or calling into question, the August hiatus.

Because then we might well suffer fewer “violations of the Constitution”, “subversions of democracy”, “displays of authoritarianism” and “attempted cover-ups” during the other eleven months.

Even more so when the actual facts are consumed unprocessed and without too much sauce. Or spin.

In any case, who could repress the news of soaring tariffs and the upcoming global trade war, or the likely occupation of Gaza? Who could even think about trying?

So, the friends, family and colleagues we rejoin after the summer break are rarely the same people we waved goodbye to from the deck of the ferry. Which isn’t to say they’ll have changed in any radical way.

It will be the same again this year. Even if we’re spared the seasonal wildfires that seem to be consuming the rest of southern Europe.

Which is to say there’s always news in August.

It’s the politicians that are thin on the ground—and the journalists, since most of them take their annual holiday at this time of year.

Which isn’t necessarily detrimental to the news.