Author: staff

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…

Iraq welcomed thousands of Shiite Muslim pilgrims to the holy city of Karbala on 25 June as Ashoura commemorations reached their peak. Worshippers gathered around the shrines of Imam Hussein and his brother Abbas, taking part in prayers, mourning processions and traditional rituals marking the anniversary of Imam Hussein’s death at the Battle of Karbala in AD 680. Security was reinforced across the city as visitors from Iraq and neighbouring countries joined one of the largest annual religious gatherings in the Middle East. Ashoura is observed on the 10th day of Muharram and remains the holiest occasion in the Shiite…

It may sound incredible, and certainly a few years ago, with Greece in crisis and on the brink of Grexit, nobody would have believed it, but Greece is going to send a person into space. Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced this after a meeting with Adrianos Golemis, the only Greek who has successfully passed all astronaut tests since 2022 and who entered the European Space Agency (ESA) training programme a few months ago. The launch is expected to take place within the next two years and the mission will last up to three weeks, as part of the new National Space Strategy,…

The World Cup has seen plenty of joyous moments already, but also an impressive string of controversies. From Japanese fans cleaning up stadiums to Scottish food requests and Erling Haaland being a gem of a man, it’s been exciting to see some of the viral moments surrounding the tournament. But at the center of much backlash has been FIFA president Gianni Infantino. He defended the exorbitant ticket prices which make the tournament look like an elitist shambles; concerns were raised over FIFA’s supposed political neutrality when he awarded FIFA’s inaugural Peace Price to Donald Trump; he’s been using a private…

“Canada’s voice in this community makes us stronger,” said Noel Curran, director general of the EBU.  Not since Céline Dion won Eurovision in 1988, representing Switzerland, has Canada been this close to claiming a spot in the iconic song contest — though it is still unclear whether or when the country will participate. A spokesperson for CBC/Radio-Canada confirmed “we will have more information … at a later date.” Canada would not be the first non-European country to walk the glittery stage. Israel joined in 1973, Morocco competed once in 1980, and Australia joined in 2015. Escalating controversy over Israel’s participation…

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he approved a plan for Ukraine’s State Security Service (SBU) to launch a 40-day operation aimed at pressuring Russia to end the war. Zelenskyy’s announcement comes after his meeting with SBU chief Major General Yevhenii Khmara, who reported on Kyiv’s “plan for long-range sanctions, medium-range sanctions, and the results achieved by the SBU,” Zelenskyy said on X. “For several months in a row, the SBU has demonstrated the highest performance in defending Ukraine’s positions on the front lines through the use of various types of drones,” Zelensky said on Thursday evening. What is this operation…

The limitation would not apply to men who received temporary protection before the new rules enter into force. In its announcement, the Commission said the  plan aimed to “reconcile the protection needs with Ukraine’s overall ability to defend itself against Russia’s illegal war of aggression.” The proposal comes after a ministerial discussion earlier this month showed “strong support” for plans to exclude fighting-age men, Swedish Migration Minister Johan Forssell told POLITICO. The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty has warned against a “wholesale rejection” of conscription-age men. “What I want to make sure is that those who…