Displaying items by tag: Europe

NATO allies, including the USA, have reaffirmed their ‘ironclad commitment’ to collective defence at a brief summit in The Hague. The final five‑paragraph communiqué emphasised unity, describing Russia as a ‘long‑term threat’ but stopping short of explicitly condemning its invasion of Ukraine, marking a shift from prior statements. In the only reference to the war, it said: ‘Allies reaffirm their enduring sovereign commitments to provide support to Ukraine, whose security contributes to ours.’ It also reaffirmed NATO’s founding tenet, that an attack on one is an attack on all, despite Trump hinting at differing definitions. A notable commitment was a pledge to raise defence investment to 5% of GDP by 2035. The toned‑down language and ambitious new spending target reflect tensions within the alliance. Meanwhile, on 24 June seventeen people were killed and over a hundred injured in a daytime Russian airstrike: see

A state of emergency has been declared on the Greek island of Chios as five separate wildfires, fanned by strong winds, are ravaging homes, farms, and infrastructure. The fires broke out within hours of each other, prompting the evacuation of seventeen communities. The authorities have launched an arson investigation, citing the suspicious timing and clustering of the blazes. They have caused widespread damage, destroying homes and cutting power across the island. Nearly two hundred firefighters, backed by aircraft and helicopters, are tackling the flames, with ninety more en route from Athens and Thessaloniki. Residents have joined in the firefighting effort, using buckets and makeshift equipment. This is the first major wildfire this summer for Greece, which is no stranger to devastating fires and extreme heat.

Protesters in Venice have claimed an ‘enormous victory’ after forcing US billionaire Jeff Bezos and guests to move their wedding celebration away from the city centre. The three‑day event, featuring A‑list guests like Kim Kardashian and Leonardo DiCaprio, sparked anger over the overt display of wealth and the strain caused by such a huge event. The group No Space for Bezos, supported by activists and environmental campaigners, celebrated the shift as a symbolic win for locals against wealthy elites. One activist said it demonstrated how ordinary citizens can challenge even the powerful. Venice, grappling with rising seas and rising rents, has long been a flashpoint for debates about sustainable tourism and economic equity. City authorities criticised the protest, citing the benefits that wealthy visitors bring. Yet activists insist that the issues of over‑crowding, rising costs, and climate vulnerability must be addressed. The wedding itself will of course proceed, but for many Venetians, this moment has highlighted urgent questions about the future of their historic city.

On the day Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Deputy Minister Oleksandr Bornyakov was caught in a firefight in Kyiv. Despite the chaos of war, Bornyakov and his team pressed forward with Ukraine’s ambitious digital transformation project: the Diia app. Launched in 2019, Diia enables citizens to access over forty government services and thirty personal documents - from tax payments to voting in Eurovision - directly from their mobile phones. A web portal adds access to 130 services. Now serving over 22 million users, Diia is considered one of the world’s most advanced digital government services. Its success stems from Ukraine’s large, affordable tech workforce and the foundational development of a centralised data exchange. The urgency of war accelerated innovation, enabling the swift rollout of wartime tools like damage compensation and troop reporting. Looking ahead, Ukraine plans to incorporate AI to make services even more seamless, but experts advise caution about this.

Entrepreneur Fariba Vancor has been sentenced to six years in prison in what is considered Sweden’s largest environmental crime case. As CEO of the waste company Think Pink, Vancor oversaw the illegal dumping of hundreds of thousands of tonnes of toxic waste across nineteen sites. The court found that Think Pink, which was contracted by municipalities and private clients to manage waste, instead abandoned dangerous materials including PCBs, mercury, lead, and arsenic - threatening air, water, and soil quality. The judge described the company as operating like a pyramid scheme, with criminal negligence causing widespread environmental damage. Out of eleven individuals tried, ten were convicted: five received prison sentences and were ordered to pay approximately £19 million in damages. The case, which required years of investigation and 150 witnesses, resulted in a verdict nearly 700 pages long. Vancor has denied wrongdoing and may appeal.

Austria has declared three days of national mourning after a 21-year-old former student fatally shot eight pupils and a teacher at his old high school in Graz, later taking his own life. A tenth victim, critically injured, has since died, and eleven others remain in hospital. Austria’s chancellor, Christian Stocker, called it a ‘national tragedy’, and the president said, ‘What happened today … strikes our country at the heart. These were young people who had their whole lives ahead of them.’ The gunman, armed with legally owned firearms, opened fire in two classrooms. His motive remains unclear as the investigation continues. Mass shootings are rare in Austria, even though the nation has one of Europe’s highest civilian gun ownership rates. In response to the tragedy, crisis teams are supporting affected families and the community. The mayor of Vienna stressed that hate and violence must not prevail, and European leaders have expressed deep sorrow and sympathy.

Customs officers at Brussels airport were stunned when crates expected to contain ketamine were actually full of salt. Authorities believe the drug was diverted into the black market during its complex journey from India, exploiting loopholes in Europe’s varied regulations. Ketamine, classified as a medicine in some nations, is shipped legally through multiple borders, making tracking difficult. Criminals forge documents, use front companies, and manipulate legal supply chains to mask their operations. Since 2023, Belgian investigators have uncovered 28 similar cases involving an estimated 28 tonnes of ketamine. The drug’s illegal trade is growing so fast that gangs now profit more from ketamine than from cocaine. In the UK, ketamine use surged 85% in one year, linked to 53 deaths in 2023. Its legal use in hospitals complicates enforcement. European police forces are now coordinating with Indian authorities to stem the flow.

Evangelist David Karcha has said that even in the midst of war, Ukraine is seeing a profound spiritual awakening.  He has described how churches have become sanctuaries of hope, drawing countless people to Christ. When Russia invaded in 2022, Ukrainian evangelicals chose not to flee but to remain, share in the suffering, and witness through faith. Karcha declared that while the Gospel is powerful in peace, it becomes ‘unstoppable’ in war. Across the country, churches are seeing thousands profess faith and be baptised, driven by deep spiritual hunger. Their acts of faith have created a unified movement no war can halt. Evangelicals minister on the frontlines, in hospitals, to widows, orphans, and the broken. The church serves not only physical needs but also hearts seeking hope. Thanking European churches for their love and support, Karcha says, ‘We listen. We pray. We help. Then, when we see how we can help and what can be gone, we speak Jesus.’

Following Ukraine’s audacious deep strikes on Russian strategic bomber bases, Moscow is facing mounting internal pressure to retaliate. While the Kremlin remains publicly silent pending investigation, media figures and bloggers have erupted with calls for harsh responses, including nuclear retaliation. Though such threats are not new in Russian rhetoric, the recent attacks - possibly disrupting Russia’s nuclear response capabilities - may challenge the limits of Moscow’s stated nuclear doctrine. An actual nuclear strike remains unlikely due to the immense diplomatic fallout it would trigger, particularly with key partners like China and India. A more probable reaction will take the form of intensified missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. As Ukraine’s Western allies ease restrictions on weapons use, the Kremlin may feel compelled to escalate, risking unpredictable consequences in an already volatile war. Meanwhile, the two sides have failed to make progress in ceasefire talks in Istanbul: see

The centuries-old Swiss village of Blatten has been devastated by a catastrophic glacier collapse. Prior concerns about the stability of the Birch Glacier had prompted authorities to evacuate all 300 residents and livestock. Days later, over nine million cubic metres of ice and rock cascaded down, obliterating homes, landmarks, and even the village church. The collapse, which registered on national seismic monitors, left Blatten buried in debris and triggered flood concerns by blocking the River Lonza. Experts described the destruction as ‘unprecedented’. Due to global warming, the rapid thaw of permafrost, long considered the glue of the Alps, is destabilising entire mountainsides. Although the timely evacuation saved lives (only one man is missing), the complete loss of the village has raised new alarms about the pace and impact of climate change on vulnerable mountain communities.