Ukraine steps up campaign to retake Russian-controlled regions in south; Kyiv accuses Russia of a war crime over the deaths of more than 40 prisoners of war
Continue reading...Category Archives: Europe
Making a comeback: rewilding in Europe gets a £4m funding boost
Native wildlife will be reintroduced across Europe in a bid to reduce atmospheric carbon and promote tourism
A European environmental organisation is looking to expand its number of rewilding landscapes – areas where endangered wildlife is reintroduced and protected – after being awarded a grant of £4.1m.
The grant has been pledged to Rewilding Europe in the hope of scaling up rewilding efforts throughout several parts of the European continent.
Continue reading...Russia-Ukraine war: 75,000 Russians killed or injured so far, says US – as it happened
This live blog has now closed, you can find our latest Ukraine war coverage here
Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Russian-imposed military-civilian administration in the occupied Kherson region of Ukraine has posted to Telegram this morning to say that “all stories about successful ‘Ukronazi’ counter-offensives in the Kherson region are sheer lies.”
He offered no evidence to support the claim.
Educational institutions and residential buildings were damaged by rocket attacks today. Russian terrorists are cynically shelling the civilian infrastructure of Mykolaiv.
Another city school was almost completely destroyed. Part of the building collapsed there. The security guard of the institution was injured. Windows and roofs were broken in nearby private houses.
Continue reading...Rights groups hit out at Macron decision to host Mohammed bin Salman
Saudi crown prince accused of complicity in murder of Jamal Khashoggi is welcomed in Paris
Human rights campaigners have hit out at Emmanuel Macron’s decision to host Mohammed bin Salman for talks in Paris during the Saudi crown prince’s first visit to Europe since the murder nearly four years ago of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
On Thursday evening, Macron welcomed Prince Mohammed to talks at the Elysée Palace with a long handshake before the pair were due to dine together.
Continue reading...German cities impose cold showers and turn off lights amid Russian gas crisis
Hanover is first large city to impose energy-saving measures and Berlin switches off monument spotlights
Cities in Germany are switching off spotlights on public monuments, turning off fountains, and imposing cold showers on municipal swimming pools and sports halls, as the country races to reduce its energy consumption in the face of a looming Russian gas crisis.
Hanover in north-west Germany on Wednesday became the first large city to announce energy-saving measures, including turning off hot water in the showers and bathrooms of city-run buildings and leisure centres.
Continue reading...Spanish Gypsy groups call for protection after families flee racist mob
Killing of doorman in Andalucían town triggered rampage in which houses were burned and looted
Spanish Gypsy groups are calling for urgent action and protection after dozens of people were forced to abandon their homes in a small Andalucían town when a killing triggered a wave of racist violence.
In the early hours of Sunday 17 July, a 29-year-old pub doorman called Álvaro Soto was stabbed to death in Peal de Becerro after an argument with four members of the local Gypsy community. The alleged attackers were later arrested.
Continue reading...Russian TV journalist fined for ‘discrediting army’ over Ukraine
Marina Ovsyannikova, previously fined for bursting into state TV studio, found guilty over social media posts
The Russian former state TV journalist Marina Ovsyannikova has been fined 50,000 roubles (£681) after being found guilty of discrediting the country’s armed forces in social media posts condemning Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
The ruling was passed on Thursday after a short hearing in a Moscow administrative court. Ovsyannikova rejected the proceedings against her as “absurd”.
Continue reading...Calls for Ukrainians living on cruise ship in Scotland to be quickly rehoused
MS Victoria is temporary solution to host refugees but there are concerns about small rooms and seasickness
Ukrainian refugees staying on a cruise ship docked in Edinburgh must be moved to more suitable accommodation within days, welfare groups have said, as those onboard already report concerns about small rooms and feeling seasick.
The first arrivals of mainly women and children displaced by the war in Ukraine boarded the MS Victoria passenger ship earlier this week. Chartered by the Scottish government, it is expected to host up to 1,700 people and is a temporary solution to a growing accommodation crisis, which earlier this month prompted the government to pause its Ukrainian refugee sponsorship scheme for three months.
Continue reading...Greece rolls out red carpet for crown prince, as Khashoggi killing falls off agenda
With Europe grappling with an energy crisis, Mohammed bin Salman finds he is once again welcome
Smiles, handshakes, backslaps and the Acropolis all to himself. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has landed in Europe – his first trip west since the brutal killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi – and on a continent jittering with energy worries, the Saudi royal has received red-carpet treatment.
Human rights concerns aside, the de facto leader of the world’s greatest oil producer has luxuriated in a welcome that only recently may have seemed impossible.
Continue reading...‘Imprudent’ priest uses inflatable mattress as altar during mass in sea
Father Mattia Bernasconi apologises for any offence after failing to find shade while on camp in Italy with high school students
A priest who celebrated mass in the sea using an inflatable mattress as an altar has been placed under investigation by Italian authorities.
Father Mattia Bernasconi, 36, from the archdiocese of Milan, said he had planned to hold Sunday’s ceremony among the trees by the beach in Crotone, southern Italy, after he had been helping with a week-long summer camp for high school students organised by Libera, an anti-mafia organisation.
Continue reading...Falls in Europe’s crop yields due to heatwaves could worsen price rises
From Spain to Hungary, output of staples such as corn forecast to fall by up to 9%, adding to impact of Ukraine war on food security
Yields of key crops in Europe will be sharply down this year owing to heatwaves and droughts, exacerbating the impacts of the Ukraine war on food prices.
Maize, sunflower and soya bean yields are forecast by the EU to drop by about 8% to 9% due to hot weather across the continent. Supplies of cooking oil and maize were already under pressure, as Ukraine is a major producer and its exports have been blocked by Russia.
Continue reading...Germany accuses Russia of ‘power play’ as gas pipeline supply drops by half
State-run Gazprom reduces flow through Nord Stream 1 to around 20% of its capacity
Germany has accused Moscow of engaging in “power play” over energy exports, as Russian state-run Gazprom further throttled gas supplies into Europe.
As announced two days earlier, the energy giant on Wednesday reduced the gas flow through Nord Stream 1 to 33m cubic metres a day – about 20% of the pipeline’s total capacity and half the amount it has been delivering since resuming service last week after 10 days of maintenance work.
Continue reading...Russia will not take Donbas in ‘immediate future’, say western officials – as it happened
Moscow has ‘definitively’ lost initiative in battle for eastern region; Ukraine attacks key Russian held bridge in Kherson
Peter Beaumont in Kyiv has filed this report on a night when it appears that Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian-occupied Kherson:
A key Russian held bridge into the occupied southern city of Kherson was hit with a barrage of rocket fire by Ukrainian forces who appeared to be stepping up operations to isolate the city.
Continue reading...Ukraine steps up attacks on Russian-occupied Kherson
Key bridge attacked using longer-range weapons in bid to cut off Russian supply routes
A key Russian held bridge into the occupied southern city of Kherson was hit with a barrage of rocket fire by Ukrainian forces who appeared to be stepping up operations to isolate the city.
Video and witness accounts showed up to 18 detonations on the Antonivskiy bridge over the Dnipro river, one of the main Russian resupply routes into Kherson, with Russian anti-missile air defences apparently failing to intercept the strikes.
Continue reading...Russia-Ukraine war latest: what we know on day 154 of the invasion
Ukrainian forces strike Antonivskiy Bridge in Russian-occupied Kherson to disrupt Moscow’s supply routes
Continue reading...How does the EU plan to cut gas usage by 15% this winter?
Industry to feel pinch first after all countries in bloc except Hungary agreed to voluntary reduction
The EU has agreed to cut its gas consumption by 15% in an attempt to stave off a winter crisis triggered by a sharp reduction or total shutdown of Russian gas supplies to the bloc.
Continue reading...Zelenskiy accuses Russia of using rising gas prices to terrorise Europe – as it happened
This live blog is now closed, you can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war here
The Russian state-controlled energy company Gazprom has announced a drastic cut to gas deliveries through its main pipeline to Europe from Wednesday.
The Russian gas export monopoly said it was halting the operation of one of the last two operating turbines due to the “technical condition of the engine”, cutting daily gas deliveries via the Nord Stream pipeline to 33m cubic metres a day – about 20% of the pipeline’s capacity.
Today we saw another gas threat to Europe. Even despite the concession regarding the Nord Stream turbine, Russia is not going to resume gas supplies to European countries, as it is contractually obligated to do.
All this is done by Russia deliberately to make it as difficult as possible for Europeans to prepare for winter. And this is an overt gas war that Russia is waging against a united Europe - this is exactly how it should be perceived. And they don’t care what will happen to the people, how they will suffer - from hunger due to the blocking of ports or from winter cold and poverty... Or from occupation. These are just different forms of terror.
Continue reading...New words in French dictionaries show ‘great suppleness’ of language
Pandemic and climate crisis account for most new entries in authoritative Le Robert and Larousse dictionaries
From covidé (infected with coronavirus) to confinement (lockdown) and éco-anxiété (climate anxiety) to verdissement d’image (greenwashing), the pandemic and the climate crisis account for most new French words, Le Monde has concluded.
But if 28% of recent additions are essentially English, according to an analysis by the paper, nearly half are French coinages, demonstrating what it called the language’s “great suppleness, as well as the creativity and humour of its users”.
Continue reading...EU agrees plan to ration gas use over Russia supply fears
Despite most energy ministers backing the scheme the EU was forced to water down proposals
The EU has been forced to water down its plan to ration gas this winter in an attempt to avoid an energy crisis generated by further Russian cuts to supply.
Energy ministers from the 27 member states, except Hungary, backed a voluntary 15% reduction in gas usage over the winter, a target that could become mandatory if the Kremlin ordered a complete shutdown of gas to Europe.
Continue reading...British tourist, 21, killed by helicopter blade in Greece
Three arrested after Jack Fenton hit by rear rotor while reportedly trying to take a selfie at heliport in Athens
Three people have been arrested after the death of a 21-year-old British man killed by a spinning rotor blade when he disembarked in Athens from a helicopter chartered by his family from Mykonos.
Greek authorities said the aircraft’s pilot and two ground engineers were detained after the incident.
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