Author: staff

“We built our cities for the climate from before,” said Jeroen Kluck, a professor at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences researching climate resilience in cities.  “We have done simulations that showed that more and more houses will get too hot even if we provide some [sun] screening and ventilation,” he added. “Somewhere in the future, those houses might need active cooling.”  While air-conditioning is on the rise, it remains uncommon in Europe. Only about one-fifth of European households have AC installed, compared to 90 percent in the U.S. Europe’s high heat mortality is down to “a combination of factors,…

Published on 26/06/2026 – 16:19 GMT+2 Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 160 captured soldiers each, both governments confirmed on Friday, in the latest prisoner swap since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion more than four years ago. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the handover on social media. “We continue bringing Ukrainians home from Russian captivity. Today, 160 service members were released,” he wrote, adding that “all of them had been held captive since 2022.” He posted photographs of the returning men draped in blue-and-yellow flags, smiling and embracing one another. Russia’s defence ministry confirmed the figures from the other side, saying…

Firefighters battled the blaze as paramedics treated the injured and emergency crews evacuated casualties from the affected area. Regional authorities said the strike hit civilian neighbourhoods, damaging warehouses, homes and parked vehicles while rescue teams searched the debris for anyone still trapped. Regional officials said the strike involved at least two ballistic missiles and several attack drones targeting a civilian neighbourhood in the city centre. Warehouses, commercial buildings, parked vehicles and nearby residential properties were damaged. Ivan Fedorov, head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, said the number of injured continued to rise as rescue operations progressed. Ukraine’s National Police…

In an emailed statement to POLITICO, VW said it would “not comment on internal, confidential documents,” but added that “the entire Group — including its brands and subsidiaries — must undergo a profound transformation. To this end, the Group Executive Board has been working intensively over the past few months on a strategic plan for the company’s restructuring.” VW has been squeezed by declining demand from China, tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump and a difficult transition to electric vehicles. The company’s struggles mirror challenges faced by many of Germany’s industrial giants. Bosch announced 20,000 job cuts in January,…

“What a lovely day! Blue sky, a shining sun. It’s a gift!”, exclaims Anne-Marie, as she greets Deborah Warta, a community nurse, starting her daily visits to patients, in the Dutch city of Amersfoort. At 88, and despite living with dementia, Anne-Marie Wildbergh delights in the simple pleasures of life. After watering the flowers she cares for on her balcony, she walks back gleefully into her flat, as Deborah reminds her it’s time to take her medicine. “Oh yes! Here’s the day’s candy”, Anne-Marie says jokingly, picking up the pills that were just spilled out from a small automatic dispenser.…

The ceremony took place near Nabatieh’s main square, where damaged buildings and piles of rubble remained visible after the fighting. While most participants marked Ashoura with processions and mourning prayers, a small minority performed tatbir, a disputed ritual involving self-inflicted wounds with blades. The practice is observed by some Shiite communities but rejected by many others, including Hezbollah. Earlier the same day, Israeli strikes were reported in nearby Nabatieh al-Fawqa, underlining the tense security backdrop to the commemoration. Mourners processed through neighbourhoods scarred by recent Israeli airstrikes, carrying religious banners and taking part in traditional rituals honouring Imam Hussein, the…

One in five workers in the European Union is exposed to high temperatures at work, making extreme heat one of the fastest-growing occupational risks linked to climate change, according to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). Those most at risk are people who work outdoors or in hot indoor environments. Agriculture, construction, transport, manufacturing, emergency services and tourism are among the sectors facing the greatest health and productivity impacts during increasingly frequent heatwaves. Agriculture and construction are on the front line Agriculture is consistently identified as the sector most exposed to extreme heat. The International Labour…

As a heatwave continues to pummel Europe, plunging into a refreshing lake or river seems like the only sensible thing to do right now. But, tempting as these bodies of water are, many are not safe for bathing. As temperatures broke records in several cities across France this week, the country reported 40 people had drowned while swimming in unsupervised areas. “There is a tragic scourge of drownings,” Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Tuesday. “The latest figures we’ve received are 40 deaths since 18 June. Most of the victims are young people.” If you want to take a dip,…

Belgium and much of Europe have been sweltering for the past week, with record-breaking temperatures. The Commission issued guidance for its staff earlier this week, which included avoiding going outside at the hottest times of day, drinking water regularly and starting work earlier. But the advice angered some Commission staff who work in buildings without air-conditioning, including DG AGRI, according to internal communications seen by POLITICO’s Brussels Playbook. “It’s like feudalism,” a Commission official working on a lower level of the Berlaymont, granted anonymity to speak freely, told POLITICO on Friday, referring to the fact that upper floors housing commissioners…

An agreement on the 21st package of European Union sanctions against Russia remains mired in difficulty, with major political obstacles and the public threat of a Bulgarian veto shrinking the chances of securing unanimity. Ambassadors met on Friday to discuss a revised text of the proposal tabled by the European Commission earlier this month. As expected, no consensus was found, and talks are set to continue – but the clock is ticking. Brussels needs to have a deal by 15 July to avoid an automatic revision of the price cap on Russian seaborne oil, which is meant to be adjusted…